I'll Take Her Place
by Kishiro Kitsune
Summary: When Allura breaks the news that she is to wed Prince Lotor in order to continue the peaceful relationship between Altea and Daibazaal, Pidge knows that she has to do something to change that. And so, with a little help, she comes up with a new plan. A better plan.
1. Chapter 1

Pairings: Keith/Pidge (main) | Shiro/Allura (minor), Hunk/Lance (minor), one-sided Lotor/Allura

An AU in which:

\- Shiro, Lance, Hunk, and Pidge have been working as the Paladins of Voltron for several years, with no sign of the Red Lion or her Paladin.

\- Zarkon and Honerva were never corrupted by the rift (which simply never existed in this timeline) and Daibazaal's safety was never compromised.

\- Voltron was created long ago and then the lions were lost to legend. It's said that one of Alfor's ancestors created the lions from a comet that came from another dimension. It's assumed that this is the reason for Allura's ability to sense them.

\- The Kerberos Mission still happened, but it wasn't the Galra who captured Shiro, Matt, and Sam. While Shiro eventually found his way home (and was then rescued by a certain three inexperienced cadets), Sam and Matt Holt are still missing. From there they found the Blue Lion, who flew them all to Altea, where they learned of their destiny. They've been working alongside the Alteans since then and have formed the Voltron Coalition, which is simply made up of planets devoted to keeping the peace between all.

* * *

I'll Take Her Place

Chapter 1

Pidge knew she shouldn't be there – it felt wrong to listen in on her leader and the princess – but her insatiable curiosity had her riveted to her spot just outside the door where Shiro and Allura were talking. Though a sliver of a crack in the door, she could see the two standing very close.

"Allura, you don't have to do this," Shiro said.

"Father has been working towards this alliance with Emperor Zarkon for a very long time," Allura responded, her voice heavy with sorrow. "I must do this. It is my duty as the princess of Altea. If a wedding between our people is what will bring peace, then what choice do I have but to go through with this?"

Pidge covered her mouth with her hand to stifle her gasp, drawing back from the door in shock. She didn't need to hear any more to know who it was Allura would be marrying.

Prince Lotor was the only son of Emperor Zarkon and Empress Honerva, and the rumors she and the other paladins had heard over the years were unsavory at best. Without any proof, Shiro had ordered the three of them to remain silent, but cautious. They were meant to keep the peace, not stir up trouble.

If there was one thing Pidge was absolutely sure of, it was that Lotor wanted power. Few things would give him more power than by marrying Allura.

Being wed to Lotor would destroy the princess, she was sure of it.

There had to be _something_ Pidge could do to help.

She walked away from the room, possibilities and scenarios racing through her mind. There were so many different factors to take into consideration before she could take action. She knew she could request an audience with King Alfor to discuss her concerns, but would being the Green Paladin be enough for Emperor Zarkon to take her seriously?

Pidge had to try.

* * *

The few seconds that stretched between knocking on King Alfor's office door and him giving permission to enter were some of the longest seconds Pidge had ever faced. Her nerves were a complete wreck. In the time that it took her to walk down the hall, her brain had switched from plausible ideas that could work and gone straight to worst-case scenarios.

"Breathe," she whispered to herself. Pidge pushed open the door and stepped inside, only to freeze upon finding the King of Altea was not alone.

Emperor Zarkon stood at Alfor's side, his presence as intimidating as ever, even without the heavy armor she usually saw him in. He didn't look angry by her intrusion, merely curious.

Pidge quickly bowed her head. "Apologies, your majesties."

Alfor quickly waved off her concerns. "You're welcome here any time, Lord Pidge. Is there anything we can help you with? It's unlike you to seek me out."

Pidge slowly breathed in and then out, trying to calm her rampaging nerves. She felt like Hunk must have during their first simulation flights together, but the devastated expression on Shiro's face when Allura told him she was going to marry Lotor drove her forward.

For the happiness of her leader and the princess, she would try.

"It's about Allura's betrothal to Prince Lotor."

A pained expression crossed Alfor's face, though he recovered and hid it quickly. "Ah, so she has made her decision."

Zarkon crossed his arms over his chest. "As we both suspected she would. For once I find myself at odds with that honorable Altean nature. Did she not listen to my concerns regarding the matter?"

"It is doubtful," Alfor said with a sad smile. "If she believes it will help keep the peace, my daughter will do whatever it takes, even at the sacrifice of her own heart." He turned tired blue eyes onto Pidge, who was watching them with mild confusion. "I will admit, part of me had hoped that she Lord Shiro had eloped at some point and was thus unable to wed Lotor."

The thought startled a small laugh from Pidge. They all knew that while it was something Allura would happily do, Shiro's moral code wouldn't allow it. He was a bit traditional in that way. Her laugh faded away as she considered what the two of them were telling her. "Wait, neither of you want this?"

"Our children are the first-born heirs to two very different planets. To unite Daibazaal and Altea under single rule would be the downfall of both civilizations," Zarkon calmly explained. "My Council has demanded stronger ties to the Voltron Coalition and it seems they have decided the best way to do so is through marriage. While not a paladin, Princess Allura has strong ties to Voltron. And now they have convinced my son that this is the best way to ensure their demands are met."

"What if there was another way?" Pidge asked, heart hammering loudly in her chest. She was certain the two could hear it with their heightened senses. "What if...? Would a paladin of Voltron be enough?"

Both Alfor and Zarkon appeared stunned by the idea.

"I suppose it could be an acceptable alternative," Zarkon said slowly. "However, the four of you are male and incapable of bearing a child. The Council will likely reject any offer one of you makes."

Alfor studied Pidge for a moment, brows furrowed in concern. "I've seen your official file, Pidge. Are you certain this is something you want to do?"

Pidge nodded and stiffly turned to address Emperor Zarkon. "Your Imperial Majesty, my name is Lady Katherine Holt, daughter of the missing Commander Samuel Holt and Doctor Colleen Holt, and I am the Green Paladin. If you find it acceptable, I would like to offer my hand in marriage to Prince Lotor, to secure the alliance between the Voltron Coalition and Daibazaal."

If Zarkon was shocked by the revelation of her true gender, he didn't show it. After a moment of consideration, he responded. "I accept your offer, but know that the final decision lies with my son. I'm afraid he will not easily be swayed." He uncrossed his arms and looked to Alfor. "The announcement is tomorrow. We do not have much time."

"Then we have a long night ahead of us, my friend," Alfor agreed. "I will handle things here, if you need to speak to the Council."

"Yes. Of course," Zarkon murmured, looking distracted. He soon left, but not without one final glance at Pidge, who stood shell-shocked under the weight of what she'd just done.

Whatever the morrow brought, Pidge knew things would never be the same.

Not for her.

Not for Allura.

Not for the other paladins.

She could only hope she would be strong enough to face it.

Chapter 2


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Alright, here we go! A little earlier than I'd planned, but I'm pretty excited about how everyone will react to this chapter.

I named Allura's mom after my all-time favorite female protagonist, Alanna of Trebond. (The Song of the Lioness by Tamora Pierce. If you've never read this series and you're into the fantasy genre, then I highly recommend everything she's written, but especially this quartet.)

* * *

 **I'll Take Her Place**

Chapter 2

"Pidge, this is crazy."

She told Hunk about her plan.

After all of their late night chat sessions. After all of the times they'd lured one another away from projects to take a break. After everything they'd been through together since leaving Earth, how could she _not_ tell Hunk? He was her rock; the one she went to when she needed to voice her worries without feeling judged.

"I know. _I know._ But what else could I do, Hunk? I can't stand by and watch Allura sacrifice herself like that. Besides, maybe this way I can keep a close eye on Lotor without it being weird. We'll finally find out if there's any truth to the rumors we've heard," Pidge said, trying to inject some sort of logic into her plan. It was still all about giving Allura the freedom to be with Shiro, but that didn't mean she couldn't also find a way to use it to her own advantage.

Hunk gently took both of her hands in his own. "I'm gonna go on the record, right here and now, and say I think this is a terrible idea and doing this probably means giving Lotor exactly what he wants, but..." He gave her a hard look when she opened her mouth to argue. When she unhappily settled down, he continued, a bit more gently. " _But_ , I'm going to be there for you. You're one of my best friends, Pidge, and I'm not going to leave you alone to handle this. Whatever you need and whenever you need it, I'll be there."

"Hunk, I..." Pidge looked away, unable to handle the sincerity in his eyes. "Thank you."

He squeezed her hands and then let go so he could get back to preparing a delicious breakfast. It wasn't long before Shiro finished his morning training and came down to join them. Like clockwork, Land wasn't far behind, though he was still dressed in his pajamas and had clearly just woken up.

"Ugh, please tell me I dreamed that awful conversation we had last night," Lance groaned as he sat down across from Pidge. He took one look at everyone's downcast faces and sighed loudly. "So it's really happening? Allura's really going to marry Prince Jerkface? Shiro, are you sure there's nothing we can do?"

"Allura has made her decision, and we all need to respect it," Shiro said.

"But-!"

"Enough!" Shiro said sharply. "This is happening, Lance. The princess needs our support and we're all going to give it to her. I don't want to hear any more about this, understand?"

Lance looked at him in concern, but obeyed his leader and said nothing more on the subject. After a few minutes of awkward silence, he turned his attention to Hunk. "Hey, good lookin', watcha got cookin'?"

Hunk rolled his eyes, but couldn't stop the smile from spreading across his face. "You are so lame."

Lance grinned. "Well, that doesn't answer my question. Hey, Pidge, do you think I need to ask again?"

"Please, no," Pidge begged.

"Hey, good loo-"

"Bacon!" Hunk interrupted, dropping a plate of something purple and green on the counter. "Or, you know, the closest alternative I've found. It tastes _mostly_ like bacon."

Lance stood up to peer closely at the offered food. "Looks squishy. And what are those green bits?"

"Are you going to stand there and criticize my cooking or are you going to eat?"

Lance hesitated a moment before picking up a fork to cautiously stab the food. Little bits fell off as he lifted it to his mouth. "Well, here goes nothing."

Everyone watched Lance take that first bite, using his facial expressions to determine whether or not they would be eating it as well.

"Huh," Lance said, going in for another forkful. "That's not half bad."

Hunk looked delighted.

* * *

While breakfast had been lighthearted and full of jokes (at least between Hunk and Lance), a mere two hours later, the paladins found themselves standing in their full armor, waiting with everyone else to hear Emperor Zarkon's proposal for a stronger alliance.

It was a unexpectedly small gathering, comprising largely of those from the Altean court and the few nobles who had traveled with Zarkon for the occasion, but Pidge could spot several familiar faces among the crowd, specifically Grand Duchess Trigel of the Dalterion Belt and King Gyrgan of Rygnirath, which meant that Prince Blaytz of Nalquod was somewhere nearby. The three of them were good friends of Alfor and Zarkon, as well as strong supporters of the Voltron Coalition, so it was hardly a surprise to see them there.

She almost wished they hadn't come.

Three years was a long time to keep her true identity hidden from everyone except the other paladins. How would they react to the news? Trigel had always expressed a fondness toward her in the past, but would that change when she learned the truth?

If it wasn't for Hunk's firm presence at her side, Pidge was sure she'd be panicking. As it was, she was having trouble keeping her emotions in check.

"Just breathe," Hunk reminded her, keeping his voice low. "Deep breaths. In through your nose, out through your mouth. It helps."

In a horrible way, she was thankful that Shiro and Lance were too preoccupied with their own worries about Allura. Neither of them paid any attention to her, though Lance did cast a curious look in their direction when Hunk began to whisper.

"The goo bacon is disagreeing with Pidge," Hunk explained in undertone, covering for her the best way he could think of.

Pidge felt a wave of gratitude towards her friend. It lasted until Emperor Zarkon stepped forward to address the crowd and a heavy weight of dread settled in her stomach, overpowering any other emotion.

Everyone quieted down to hear what he had to say.

"For many years, I have worked tirelessly alongside King Alfor and other leaders to unify the planets in our quadrant of the universe in a peaceful alliance. We have forged unbreakable bonds between our people, but none more strong than that between Daibazaal and Altea, with my marriage to the beautiful Honerva." He paused to gaze fondly at his small Altean wife, whose sweet smile encouraged him to continue. "I am please to say I have recently been given the opportunity to fortify the alliance between Daibazaal and the Voltron Coalition."

Pidge couldn't help but glance at Allura, who stood between her parents, King Alfor and Queen Alanna, looking every inch the regal princess that she was. She never would have known just from looking at her that she had no desire to be there or even that she was truly dreading what was coming next.

Or rather, what Allura _thought_ was coming next.

Pidge breathed in deeply.

"Lady Katherine Holt, Paladin of the Green Lion, has offered her hand in marriage."

As Emperor Zarkon spoke, Pidge stepped away from her friends, slowly walking forward just as King Alfor had instructed her to do. She could see Lance making a move to stop her, but Hunk held him back and shook his head. Shiro made a quiet, startled sound, barely catching himself from following her.

Pidge stopped a respectable distance from Zarkon and removed her helmet, tucking it under one arm. She held her head up high, waiting to hear what Lotor had to say about the change. _Everything_ relied on what the Galra prince would say.

Emperor Zarkon acknowledged her with a nod and then looked to his son. "Prince Lotor, will you accept Lady Katherine's proposal?"

Prince Lotor's face and body language betrayed nothing of what he truly felt as he bowed to her. "Sadly, I cannot. My heart has long been claimed by another." Cold blue eyes flickered to Allura, traveling up and down her body before returning to Pidge.

Her heart sank at the flicker of a tiny smirk on his face. Her plan never stood a chance.

 _'I'm so sorry, Allura,'_ she thought, her heart aching for her friend.

"I see," Emperor Zarkon said, his eyes boring into his son, who looked completely unaffected by the intense gaze.

Pidge was about to step back and rejoin her fellow paladins, prepared to face their judgement, when Zarkon spoke again, addressing another in the crowd.

"Prince Keithir, will you accept?"

A low murmur broke out in the room from all sides, but the loudest chatter came from the Galra. From among them, a slender figure in black armor stepped forward, unusual dark eyes focused on Pidge. A pair of fluffy ears stuck up through a mess of black hair, twitching subtly as he gazed at her. His fur was a hue of light lavender common to most Galra.

For a moment, she forgot how to breathe. Prince Keithir was an anomaly – a mystery – she had no data on him. She had even less than rumor to go on. It was only by chance that she'd even learned about him. She'd certainly never included him as a factor when devising her plan or when calculating the multiple ways in which things could go awry, but it was obvious to her that Emperor Zarkon _had_ factored him in. Which meant one thing: Zarkon knew Lotor would never accept her.

He knew, and made a plan to account for that.

All of Pidge's hopes were on the unexpected second chance she'd been given. If Keithir refused, then there was nothing more she could do. Allura _would_ marry Lotor.

Without taking his eyes off of her, Prince Keithir spoke the words that would seal their fate: "I accept."


	3. Chapter 3

**I'll Take Her Place**

Chapter 3

It was too much for her to handle all at once.

The moment she was able, Pidge slipped away from the celebration, easing her way out onto the nearest balcony. The feel of cool air against her face was a welcome relief from the stuffiness of the room behind her, though the figure standing against the railing was an unexpected one.

Allura turned at the sound of someone approaching her. When she saw who it was, she gasped softly and rushed forward, wordlessly wrapping Pidge up into a warm, tight hug.

"Allura?" Pidge questioned.

"Thank you," Allura's words were slightly muffled by Pidge's hair as the princess continued to hold onto her. "I nearly made a terrible mistake. Oh, Pidge..." She drew back, tears brimming in her eyes. "I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. I should have listened to all of you!"

"You were only doing what you thought was right. And so am I," Pidge said. "This... this isn't really how I thought it would go when I went to speak with King Alfor, but maybe it's a little better. After all, now neither of us has to marry Prince Lotor."

Allura laughed, though it wasn't a truly joyful sound. She wiped the tears from her eyes before she spoke again. "Yes, I suppose that is the bright side to all of this. Though it still leaves us with the issue of you marrying someone you have yet to truly meet!"

Pidge stepped away to lean her forearms on the railing, casting her gaze out over the sprawling Altean gardens surrounding the Castle of Lions. "Prince Keithir... I don't know much about him."

"Nor do I," Allura admitted, joining her. "I've met him once before. He's very different from Lotor. It's difficult to explain. Just... _please_ be careful, Pidge. There's one thing I know for absolute certainty, and that is that Lotor and Keithir do _not_ get along. You may find yourself in the middle of their private war."

"It might already be too late," Pidge pointed out, looking over at her friend. "Allura, Lotor is _determined_ to win you for himself and I just got in his way of that. Never mind that he's never stood a chance against Shiro."

Allura went a little pink. "Me and – no, no, it wouldn't be proper. We just lead the team together. That's all. There's nothing going on between us."

Pidge raised an eyebrow. "Allura, even _Lance_ knows the two of you like each other as more than just friends." She paused for a moment and decided to go for a more gentle approach when the princess went scarlet and avoided looking at her. "You love him. That's why I did this. You deserve to have that happiness."

"You're going to make me cry again," Allura said, her voice thick with emotion. "You.. you deserve to be happy too."

The balcony door opened, ruining the mood between them as loud chatter spilled out into the peaceful evening air. Hunk stuck his head around the door.

"Hey, Shiro's looking for you two." He frowned when he saw the state Allura was in. "Is everything okay?"

Allura nodded. "Yes. We'll be in in just a moment."

Hunk hesitated, turning his gaze to Pidge. "Are _you_ okay?"

"I'm fine," Pidge assured him. "I might need a few more ticks before I'm ready to go back."

"Take all the time you need," Allura told her, understanding that her friend needed more time than she was letting on. "If it's important, Shiro can contact you through the built-in comm in your armor." She pushed away from the railing to walk over to the door. "Let's just say I sent you back to your room early. The celebration is nearly over anyway."

Pidge smiled at her gratefully.

"Escort me back inside, Hunk?" Allura requested.

After one final worried look at Pidge, Hunk offered the princess his arm and led her back inside to where Shiro and Lance waited.

Pidge stood on the balcony for a few more minutes before deciding that being outside wasn't helping her. She needed to do something productive. She _needed_ to be in Green's hangar, where all of her equipment and projects were waiting for her.

New goal in mind, Pidge set off without as much as a backwards glance at the festivities she was leaving behind.

* * *

After a quick detour to her room to change out of her paladin armor and into something more comfortable, Pidge was back on her way. She spent her walk debating which of her projects she wanted to work on most.

There was the miniature anti-gravity field generator she wanted to build to help her colorful, fuzzy pets feel more at home. (If a couple of oddly adorable creatures had followed her home after she was briefly stranded in the space equivalent of a junkyard, could she really be blamed for keeping them?)

Then there was the broken Galra sentry drone she'd found one day and decided to try and fix. (His name was Rover and, once fixed, he'd ward Hunk away from her stuff and keep Lance from "borrowing" her things.)

Not to mention the twenty-something other more useful things she wanted to get done.

Pidge got lost in mapping out how to implement a new, simplified artificial intelligence in Rover as she briskly walked through the deserted corridors of the Castle. With everyone presumably still celebrating the upcoming wedding, the last thing she expected was to round a corner and literally run into another person.

They caught her by the arm, keeping her from tumbling to the floor, and Pidge was midway through babbling an apology when she raised her eyes and got a good look at who she'd collided with.

"You're human," she blurted out in surprise.

There was no other explanation for his appearance. He could almost be mistaken for an Altean at first, except for the lack of markings on his face. He also didn't have the unusual pink-purple irises common to most blue-eyed Alteans. (And even the blue of his eyes was the wrong shade; it was darker and almost violet in color.) His hair was charcoal black and he wore it in a small ponytail at the nape of his neck.

"So are you," he said in return. There was no surprise in his voice.

Pidge stepped back and crossed her arms over her chest, frowning at him.

He couldn't possibly be human. Altea was _lightyears_ away from Earth. She, Hunk, Lance, and Shiro were only there because they found the Blue Lion on Earth and were whisked away to the other side of the universe by use of a wormhole.

So how was he there? Had he been kidnapped by the same aliens who stole her brother and father? _Was_ he human? Maybe there was another alien race out there in the universe who looked similar to Alteans and humans that no one had bothered to tell her about?

"Who are you?" she demanded. "How did you get in here?"

He hesitated a moment. "I, uh, I'm Prince Keithir's servant. He... wanted some time alone, so I'm out here."

Pidge narrowed her eyes, nowhere near convinced by his story. There was something off about what he was saying, and the way he couldn't quite look her in the eyes wasn't helping her suspicion. "How does a human become the servant to a Galran prince?"

"I'm only half human. My mother was Galra," he explained.

And that, at least, seemed to be the truth. Pidge relaxed a little at hearing he wasn't kidnapped and taken away from his family like her father and brother were.

"Are you done interrogating me now?" he asked with a touch of annoyance. "You're human too. How did _you_ get in here?"

"I'm Pidge, the Green Paladin," she said, fearlessly meeting his eyes. She knew she didn't exactly look the part at the moment, in her sweatpants and gray hoodie, with her short hair pulled back messily, but did he _have_ to look so stunned by the revelation of who she was?

"You're..." He stopped and then started again. "You're the one Prince Keithir is to marry?"

"Yes."

He looked at her for a long moment. "Maybe it's not my place to ask, but why volunteer? I heard that Prince Lotor was meant to announce his engagement to Princess Allura today."

Pidge figured it couldn't really hurt to tell the truth, though she wasn't about to go into the specifics with a stranger. Maybe he was hiding something, but he seemed nice enough; she didn't have the impulse to punch him in the face or run as fast as she could in the opposite direction, and she'd learned to trust those gut instincts she'd honed over her years spent in space. "Because Allura deserves the chance to be happy with someone she loves. And because it's my job, as a paladin, to secure and keep the peace. This was my way of doing all of those."

"You're a good friend," he said after a minute. "I should get back to Prince Keithir before he wonders if I got lost."

"Ah, right," Pidge murmured, stepping aside to let him pass. A thought crossed her mind as he walked away and she called after him: "Hey, what's your name?"

"...It's Keith."

* * *

Keith wanted to bang his head against the nearest hard surface as he re-entered the guest chambers where he was staying. The moment the door was securely shut behind him, he carefully shifted his form back to the way he normally looked.

While not painful, the entire process of changing his appearance from human to Galra was an uncomfortable experience. His ears were the worst and he always tried to get them out of the way first, and never with anyone around. The few seconds of vulnerability as he went completely without hearing due to his ears shifting in place was the closest he came to feeling pain.

"Ah, damn," he grumbled as his skin tingled and lavender fur grew back. His vision went momentarily blurry as his eyes changed as well. "I'm so fucked."

Meeting Pidge in the halls of the castle had _not_ been part of his plan, especially not in human form. He'd expected her to still be with everyone else, celebrating their future wedding. It was what she'd wanted, right? To be married to a prince?

At least, that was what he thought at first. Until he asked her the question he'd spent several hours asking himself.

Why volunteer? Why agree to it?

It certainly wasn't for a princess he'd only met once before, even if she was as kind as she was beautiful. It wasn't even because his father had specifically requested his attendance on such short notice, a rarity for sure.

"To keep the peace," Keithir repeated to himself, mulling over the words she'd said.

That sounded like a pretty good reason.


	4. Chapter 4

I just want to take a moment to thank everyone for all of the wonderful comments and feedback you've left so far! It really is the highlight of my day when I pop online to find new notifications waiting for me and it's what keeps me pushing to update more regularly.

So here's chapter 4, a little longer than the others so far. I hope you all enjoy it!

* * *

 **I'll Take Her Place**

Chapter 4

Pidge slowly woke to something with a pointed edge nudging her in the ribs. There was the sound of whirring machinery and she could hear Hunk make a questioning sound before yelping in alarm.

" _What_ did you build last night?" Lance asked, sounding as though he was trying not to laugh.

Hunk shrieked. "Bad robot! Down!"

Pidge sat up in time to witness Hunk running to the other side of one of the Green Lion's massive paws, where he ducked down to try and hide from the flying sentry drone which was giving chase. She watched for a moment, rational thought clawing its way back through a sleepy haze. "Huh. Might be a few more bugs to work out than I thought... C'mere, Rover!"

The drone made a questioning beep before soaring back to Pidge's side. It went still when she pressed a switch hidden on one side.

"Rover, huh? Making yourself a guard dog so Hunk stops touching your stuff?" Lance asked.

"He's going to keep _you_ from _taking_ my stuff too, so I wouldn't start laughing yet," Pidge informed him.

Lance sulked for a few seconds as Hunk cautiously approached them, clearly watching out for any more drones that may spring out and attack him.

"You're an evil genius, Pidge," Hunk informed her.

She grinned in response. "I know. So what brings you two down to my lair this morning?"

Hunk and Lance exchanged a glance, each trying to wordlessly convince the other to talk to her.

Lance lost. "First of all, it's after lunch and no one has seen you since yesterday. Shiro was worried."

"We were _all_ worried," Hunk interjected.

"Yeah, yeah, we're all worried. Also, your fiance sent a request that you have dinner with him tonight. So there's that too," Lance said with a bit of a malcontent grumble.

Pidge scowled and dropped her gaze.

Hunk noticed. Of _course_ he did. He was far too tuned in to the feelings of his friends sometimes. "You have to get to know him at some point," he said logically. "Wouldn't it be better to start now?"

"It's only been a day! _Barely_ a day!" Pidge leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes, already beginning to feel overwhelmed. Was it too much to ask that she have a single interaction with other people _without_ anyone mentioning her impending nuptials? "I need at least a deca-phoeb before I'm ready."

"Empress Honerva talked them up to six months from two, so at least you have a while," Lance said, trying to be helpful.

Hunk nodded. "It was incredible! I thought Emperor Zarkon would have to step in and order the council members to increase the time for her, but she handled it all on her own! And it wasn't in that kind of scary way like Allura does, she just won them over with facts and clear reasoning."

"Some highlights: proper courtship before any marriage is a minimum of three months, no matter the circumstances," Lance said, holding up his fingers to tick them off, one-by-one. "We're not at war with each other, so demanding the two of you to be married immediately is ridiculous; planning a royal wedding will take a _minimum_ of five months, and that's rushing it; oh, and who could forget my favorite, the dress!"

"Please tell me I at least have a say in what I'll be wearing," Pidge pleaded.

Lance nodded. "Oh, you do. And that's why the planning portion takes so long. It's tradition for the bride to design her own gown."

Pidge looked a little pale.

"Luckily, you have Lance to help you," Hunk said, sounding amused. "Three married sisters and two sisters-in-law means he's a pro at weddings, especially dresses."

"Babe, you forgot my cousins. And my Aunt who has married five times since I was four," Lance reminded him.

"Oh, yeah... How could I ever forget Aunt Constantine? She was always my favorite... Do you think she's on husband number six yet?"

"I hope not. I really liked Reggie. He was nice."

Pidge shoved her worries aside, burying them deep down in favor of focusing on her friends. It was so easy to lose herself in Lance's stories as he began to weave colorful tales of his eccentric and large family and his many experiences helping his relatives plan their weddings. With the two of them by her side, she pulled herself up off the floor and walked to the kitchen to get some food before going to face Shiro.

* * *

"How are you doing?"

Pidge looked up at Shiro as she began her pre-training stretches, easing her body into physical activity after a night of sitting on the cold, hard floor. She shrugged before bending down, folding herself in half at the waist to touch her toes. "I'm okay."

Shiro crossed his arms over his chest. "Pidge, you spent twenty hours hiding in Green's hangar. That's not-!"

"Sounds normal to me," Pidge interrupted. "Working on stuff helps me cope. Seriously, I'm fine. I got some work done and it gave me time to think. I'm okay."

Shiro frowned at her, struggling to find the right words to say for the unusual situation they were in. Normally, the best route with Pidge was blunt honesty – no careful prodding into her feelings, no treating her as though she was made of glass – but something about her body language was screaming at him that wasn't time to talk _at all._

She wasn't ready.

He backed off, at least for the moment. "We're just running simple drills today. Allura and I have a meeting with the Coalition Leaders in three vargas, so there's no time for more than that. And you have a dinner to prepare for."

The only sign that Pidge had heard him was in her slight loss of balance as she continued her warm-up. She quickly righted herself as she lifted her left leg off the ground, stretching it out behind her.

"Queen Alanna has offered her assistance if you have any questions," Shiro said. He hesitated a few seconds before adding: "We're all here for you, Pidge."

Shiro could tell the exact moment she closed herself off, thoroughly done with their conversation. He'd stepped over that invisible line in the sand, knowing how she would likely react, but it was something he felt needed to be said or else he'd spend days regretting it.

He stepped away to give her some space and joined Hunk and Lance on their jog around the perimeter of the training deck.

"Okay, I haven't seen Pidge look _that_ annoyed since that time you accidentally bumped her into a bowl of Trufalian meringue and started a whole chain reaction of everything on the banquet table crashing to the ground," Lance said. "Which, granted, wasn't really _your_ fault, but that isn't the case this time. So what did you say?"

"Just that we're all here for her," Shiro explained. "It was poor timing on my part."

Hunk looked stricken. "It wasn't something we did, is it? She was laughing with us earlier, so I thought everything was okay. But what if it _was_ something we said? Maybe she was laughing just so we wouldn't worry. What if-?"

"I don't think it was anything you did or said," Shiro cut in gently, stopping the Yellow Paladin before he could get himself worked up into a panic."If we think this is hard for us to accept, think of how it is for Pidge. She's the one this is all happening to. Sometimes it will be easy and sometimes she won't want to talk about it at all. Right now is the latter."

"Man, this is so messed up," Lance grumbled.

 _Yeah_ , Shiro privately agreed. That was one way of putting it.

* * *

Pidge was a wreck of tangled emotions.

Training had helped work out some of her frustration, but it wasn't enough. Perhaps if it had been one of their monthly marathon sessions, which always left her swimming in sweat and so exhausted that she could barely lift her arms, it would have helped. At least then it would have been acceptable for her to shower and then crawl into bed and sleep for twelve hours. Instead, she had to shower and get ready for dinner with Prince Keithir.

What were the rules for something like that? What was she supposed to wear? How was she supposed to act? She wasn't even sure how a normal date back on Earth was supposed to go (having never been on one). She knew she could ask Hunk or even Lance, but at the same time she wasn't sure how any of their advice would help.

Logically, her favorite sweatpants were out. And her sweatshirts. Really, any form of casual and comfortable wasn't appropriate for _dinner with her fiance._

Pidge groaned and flopped face-first onto her bed, letting herself wallow in confused misery for a few long minutes. She knew they were on a tight schedule, but was it necessary for them to immediately begin the 'getting to know you' portion of their courtship? She'd much rather spend the next few days (weeks) tinkering with Rover and writing new programs to try and locate her family. She just needed time for it to fully sink in.

"You chose this," she bitterly reminded herself. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, refusing to let a single tear fall. "I _chose_ this. Allura would be preparing to marry Lotor right now if I hadn't, and that's infinitely worse. I can do this."

She didn't often resort to talking to herself, but it was surprisingly helpful. Pidge was _not_ okay (sorry, Shiro), but she could handle it. She got out of bed and walked over to her closet, which housed what little clothing she'd picked over three years. Her original sweatshirt and shorts were still there, though it had been over a year since she last wore them. Despite what Lance said, she _had_ grown a few inches since leaving Earth and her clothes no longer fit as well as before. There was the Altean dress Allura had gifted her on her seventeenth birthday and the robes given to her by Ryner after her brief stay on Olkarion, learning everything she could about their incredible technology. She had two pairs of sweatpants and jeans, as well as several plain shirts and sweatshirts, but those were just for everyday use.

Never before had Pidge found herself at odds with the lack of nice clothing she owned. Whenever there was a formal situation that required their attendance, she and the other paladins would wear their armor. There had never been a need for anything else.

She wondered if Prince Keithir would be insulted if she wore the Altean dress.

Someone knocked on her door just as she was reaching out to pull it down. Clad only in her green lion robe and matching slippers, she shuffled over and prodded the button to open the door. Lance stood there with a box in his hands, looking unusually unsure.

"I got you this," he said, holding out the box for her to take. "I saw it at the Space Mall the last time Hunk and I made a run there for those fruits he likes. I was saving it for the next vacation Shiro and Allura let us have, but I thought you could use it more now. You might find the familiarity comforting, at least."

Curiosity piqued, Pidge removed the lid and then froze, staring open-mouthed at the fabric waiting inside. She slowly pulled it out of the box, marveling over how soft it was.

It was like someone had taken her original sweatshirt and turned it into a stylish dress. The sleeves and down each side were the exact same shade of green, with white filling in the space between. A hint of lace peeked out from under the skirt. Her only wish was that it had the same high collar rather than a simple crew neck, but it was only a minor wish.

"It's perfect," she whispered, finding it hard to get the words out. She knocked the box away as she threw her arms around Lance's middle. "Thank you so much!"

Lance hugged her back tightly. "That's what friends are for."

* * *

Dinner was a quiet affair between them, which wasn't unexpected. Keither was hardly an expert at basic communication and his future wife didn't seem to be much better. Ten minutes in and he was already convinced that inviting her to have dinner with him so soon had been a Very Bad Idea. Except that it had been his mother's request and denying Empress Honerva was an Even Worse Idea, so there they were.

Sitting.

Alone.

Not speaking.

Keithir glanced up and cleared his throat, wracking his brain for anything to say. "So, uh...?"

"Yes?"

His thoughts abruptly derailed at her simple question. "Um... enjoying the food?"

Big amber eyes stared at him for a moment before lowering back to her plate. "It's good. Are you, uh, enjoying it too?"

Keithir absently wondered if it was alright to be glad she was struggling just as much as he was. "Yeah, it's good."

The silence resumed, stretching on and slowly consuming them. Any attempt from either of them was too weak to combat it.

It was the most awkward ordeal he had ever gone through, and that included his physician's four-hour long lecture on puberty and reproduction when he was younger.

Even worse, once the food had been cleared, their evening still wasn't over.

Keithir stood and moved around to help her out of her chair before offering her his arm. She stared up at him in confusion. "Can I walk you back to your room?"

"Oh," she uttered softly. "Yes. Yes, of course." She took his arm with no trouble and they began to walk through the castle together.

Normally, Keithir was content with the quiet. Most days he preferred it. Constant, never ending chatter, especially when it was small-talk, was one of his least favorite things. But he could _feel_ the awkwardness between them, hanging thick in the air, and made worse by the fact that neither of them knew what to do or say to make it a little more bearable.

He found himself staring at her, only partly paying attention to where he was walking. His eyes were drawn to the shade of green she wore, and then to the dress itself. It was a simple thing, designed with comfort in mind rather than extravagance. It was...

"Cute."

"Huh?" Pidge looked up, eyes wide as they met his own.

Keithir felt his face heat up. "Your dress. It's cute... Green looks good on you."

She looked away, her cheeks reddening slightly. "Thank you."

There was a brief moment where Keithir thought that was the end of it and that they were doomed to never break through the thick wall between them, but then Pidge sucked in a break and weakly grinned up at him. "Good thing I'm the Green Paladin, right?"

Keithir found himself smiling back. "You're right. Imagine if you were Blue instead."

Pidge's laughter shattered what remained of the awkward atmosphere. "I'd rather not. Besides, that would mean Lance would be Green and I don't think he could pull it off. _You_ , though..."

Keithir crinkled his nose. "Me? In Green? Not really my color."

"Oh?" Pidge asked with a strange tone to her voice. "So then what is your color? Black?"

(Some part of him realized she was actually _teasing_ him. It was nice.)

"Red."

Pidge's smile dropped, taking the warmth forming between them with it, and she looked away. "Yeah. You'd look good in red..." She pulled away from him as they approached her room. "Thanks for walking me back, Your Highness."

"Keithir. Just... just Keithir," he told her as she punched in her code and the door slid open. She turned to bid him goodnight before going inside, leaving him to wonder how he'd managed to sever the fragile connection they'd made in a split second.

He stood there for a moment, lost and confused, and then slowly turned away as a bitterness swelled in his chest. "Goodnight, Lady Katherine," he said to her closed door.


	5. Chapter 5

**I'll Take Her Place**

Chapter 5

"I think I made things worse," Keithir said the moment his mentor opened the door which joined their rooms together.

Thace sighed and stepped aside, letting the younger Galra enter. "Ulaz will be back soon. He was invited downstairs to see this castle's cryo-pods. Apparently one of them is malfunctioning." He watched as Keithir wordlessly padded over to the couch and sat half-curled against one side, legs pulled up close to his chest. Not for the first time, Thace was struck by just how _young_ the prince was.

He joined him on the couch, near enough to let Keithir know he was there for him, but far enough that the prince had the space he preferred. "Do you want to wait for Ulaz?"

"No. We don't have to."

Thace settled back and waited.

Slowly, Keithir uncurled one leg and let it drop back to the floor. "Dinner was..." His heavy sigh explained more than words could properly describe. "I couldn't think of anything to say that didn't sound... _stupid._ So we just... we just _sat_ there. Not talking. And then I asked to walk her back to her room afterward, and it wasn't awful, but... We were – well, I think we were getting along. We were talking, at least. Until we got back to her room. She asked me what my favorite color is, so I told her and then she just shut me out and went into her room!"

"Hmm..."

Keithir scowled at him. "Is that it? Is that all you have to say? I don't get it! How did I manage to make it worse, Thace?"

"Settle down," Thace said sternly. "I know it was unintentional, but I believe you reminded her of something that has been troubling the paladins for years. According to legend, there are not four but _five_ Lions. There are currently Black, Green, Blue, and Yellow residing in this very castle. The fifth would be...?"

"Red," Keithir breathed. "I'm an idiot."

"It's easy to forget," Thace said kindly.

"Lotor wouldn't have forgotten."

Thace fully turned to face the prince. "You are correct. Lotor would not forget that piece of information and would likely use it to find an advantage over her. You are _not_ Lotor and that is a very good thing. Learn from this. Grow from this. There will be times when she steps beyond your boundaries as well. Will you shut her out or stop to explain when she has said or done something you are not comfortable with?"

Keithir stared at his knee, mulling over his mentor's words for a long few minutes.

Thace took the time to get up and walk around, straightening up a few odds and ends before his husband returned. They had only been there for two days, but somehow Ulaz had already spread his things out around their quarters.

"I want to spar."

Thace picked up another of Ulaz's books from where it had ended up balanced on an empty mug. "I will look into it. Kolivan mentioned that this castle has an advanced training deck the paladins make good use of. We may be able to gain permission to use it when they are not." He glanced over at Keithir, who looked less like he would lash out at anyone who got too close.

He couldn't stop himself from smiling. When Kolivan had first suggested that he be placed in charge of the younger prince's training and general well-being, he had thought it a recipe for disaster. Surely there were others better suited than him! He could barely remember to water the plants he'd been given to make his rooms look more "homey", and those only needed to be cared for every few weeks.

One look at the cub's bright violet eyes and too-big ears surrounded by a mess of dark hair, and Thace couldn't bring himself to turn down the request.

Of course, he hadn't been without help. Not even Kolivan, as tough as he was, could resist the temptation to steal the cub away for a brief cuddle or (once he was older) to play fight. And Empress Honerva herself made sure to be a consistent presence in her adopted son's life, teaching him as much as she could when she was able to pull herself away from her work as both alchemist and Empress. Emperor Zarkon tried as well, stopping in whenever he had a chance, doting upon Keithir, and praising him on his training.

And then there was Ulaz.

Ulaz, who had at first been nothing more than Keithir's primary physician.

Ulaz, who had slowly found his way into their bizarre sort-of family, claiming a large piece of his heart along the way.

Keithir was a handful, even full-grown, but caring for him had brought more joy and love to Thace's life than he'd ever imagined possible. There wasn't anything Thace wouldn't do for him. So if Keithir wanted a space for sparring while they were on Altea, he would find a way to make that happen.

* * *

Lance didn't handle stress well.

Everyone else had some kind of constructive outlet when they were feeling overwhelmed. Hunk went straight to the kitchen to experiment with new recipes and improve on old ones, Pidge locked herself in her hangar to build killer robots, and Shiro typically hit the training deck for some one-on-one time with the simulator.

Lance had nothing like that.

Working in the kitchen reminded him too strongly of home and how much he missed his mom. Not to mention, it was Hunk's space and he'd just end up distracted by his boyfriend.

He could hardly understand Pidge when she got on a roll talking about robotics and algorithms and all of the stuff that she loved, so the thought of him trying to build any kind of robot was a laughable one.

Training should have been a cinch. All he had to do was set up some targets and take aim. There were rare days when that was enough, but on most his nerves were too jittery, his mind too occupied by all kinds of thoughts to stay focused, and the sight of his shots missing their mark time after time only stressed him out more.

That was why Lance found himself wandering the halls with no real destination in mind, after Hunk had shooed him from the kitchen for being an even bigger distraction than usual. Hey, he couldn't help that he found his boyfriend irresistible! He was just expressing his appreciation for him with a little more affection than was appropriate in a public space.

(Yeah, alright. He totally deserved getting booted out of the kitchen and he knew it.)

He wondered if visiting Blue would make him feel better. It had been a week or so since they last went for a fly, so maybe that was part of why he wasn't feeling like himself.

Lance mentally reached for the bond he shared with his Lion and got a reassuring purr in return.

"Lance?"

The sound of Allura's voice jolted him back to reality. He turned to watch as the princess jogged up to him, a cloud of silvery hair billowing behind her. Her tired smile told him she had just gotten out of the meeting she and Shiro had gone to earlier that evening.

"Everything okay, Allura?" he asked.

"Hm? Oh, yes. Just a little lost in thought. There's so much more to planning this wedding than I thought and I want to make sure I'm able to explain it to Pidge clearly," Allura told him. "Actually, I'm glad I found you. Shiro left before I had the chance to talk to him about it, but maybe you'll be a better partner for what I have in mind." She tilted her head, appraising him.

Lance wasn't sure he liked the way she was looking at him, but he shrugged anyway. "So what do you need help with?"

"Dancing."

"Uhh...?"

Allura laughed at the confused expression on his face. "Father suggested that I teach Pidge formal dances for the wedding, but it's been some time since I last practiced. Pidge will also need a partner later on, though I may be able to do that myself. So what do you say? Want to learn?"

She looked at him with such hope in her bright blue eyes that Lance couldn't bring himself to say no. Besides, what better way to impress Hunk at any future formal functions?

"I'll do it," he said. "When do we start?"

Allura beamed and linked her arm with his, already pulling him down the hall. "No time like the present! We'll go find Coran first so he can coach us. I heard someone mention he's been down in the cryo-room all day."

Lance cheered up at the thought of getting to spend time with the eccentric royal adviser. Back when they first arrived on Altea, Coran had been there with Allura to greet them and introduce them to their roles as paladins. Since then, he had stepped back more and more, giving full run over to Allura. It was rare that any of them had the chance to talk to Coran anymore.

"Coran can dance?" Lance asked.

Allura nodded. "Of course! He taught me everything I know! No one is a better teacher."

Lance didn't doubt it. Coran was naturally good at anything he tried, and with his flair for the dramatic, dancing sounded like something he would be exceptionally good at.

The two filled the air with chatter as they walked, their conversation effortlessly flowing. Before Lance knew it, they were entering the med-bay, where Coran was talking to Prince Blaytz and an unfamiliar Galra with pale blue skin.

"Lance!" Blaytz greeted, lighting up at the sight of his favorite paladin. "And the princess as well! I hope both of you are well. It will be some time before any of the cryo-pods are up and running again. We had to shut them all down."

"We're fine, Blaytz," Allura said. "Actually, we're here for Coran." She quickly explained her idea, ending with her hands clasped under her chin, gazing pleadingly at the royal adviser.

Blaytz laughed as he clapped a large hand on the Altean man's shoulder. "You picked the right one for the job! Coran and I used to tear up the dance floor in our youth!"

"Ah, yes, we were quite the pair. Won the hearts of many young ladies! And gentlemen too, of course," Coran said proudly, twirling his mustache. "It would be a pleasure to teach the two of you!"

With that settled, Lance turned his attention to the Nalquodian Prince. "Blaytz, you dance too? Will you teach me something?"

"I'd be glad to, but I'm afraid I don't have time today," Blaytz said apologetically. He leaned in, gesturing for Lance to step closer. "I am on a mission of love, you see. My beloved is all alone on Daibazaal, awaiting my return to whisk him away. I can't keep him waiting."

"I would ask that you not continue to talk about sneaking over to Daibazaal while in my presence, except I know it only spurs you on," said the unfamiliar Galra. "Please keep in mind that it is part of my duty to report any suspicious behavior to Emperor Zarkon."

"Oh, have a heart, Ulaz!" Blaytz said, dramatically placing a hand over his chest. "Would you not do the same if you were separated from your husband?"

"Luckily, I do not need to find out. But just this once, perhaps I misheard your plans. Or I heard nothing at all," Ulaz said.

"You are my new favorite Galra."

Ulaz chucked as he tucked his tablet away into a bag at his side. "We both know that is not true."

While Allura continued talking to Coran about all of the dances she hoped to cover, Lance was listening with rapt interest to the conversation between Blaytz and Ulaz. He already knew all about Blaytz's love affair with the Galra servant he met while visiting Zarkon's home, but Ulaz was a mystery. A mystery who apparently had a husband and was on joking terms with Blaytz. (But then, who _wasn't_ on joking terms with Blaytz?)

"So, this is one of the young paladins?" Ulaz asked, turning solid yellow eyes onto Lance, who could only nod at the surprise shift in topic. "It is good to meet you. I am Ulaz, personal physician to Prince Keithir. Though at the moment, I am here as a personal favor to Coran."

"The cryo-pod?' Lance guessed.

Ulaz nodded. "Indeed. Worry not, young one. We will have them all back up and running soon." He looked over at Coran and loudly cleared his throat. "Coran, I will take the data with me for review. Are we still meeting tomorrow afternoon?"

Coran made a questioning sound as he looked away from Allura. "Oh, yes! Tomorrow at lunch!"

Ulaz returned his attention to Lance and Blaytz. "I should get back before Thace rearranges our entire room. Good luck on your mission, Blaytz. And Lance, it was good to meet you."

"Uh, yeah. Good to meet you too," Lance automatically responded, watching the Galra leave.

"I should get going too. I've got a long jouney ahead of me," Blaytz said reluctantly. "Give my regards to the others and let them know I'll be back soon. The new few months will be interesting around here... I'd hate to miss it."

Lance's stomach churned at the reminder. "Right. Interesting."

"Lance," Blaytz began gently, lowering his voice to keep what he had to say just between them. "Things have a way of working out, often for the better. Just be patient."

"You know I'm no good at that," Lance said with a small grin.

Blaytz chuckled as he stepped away, calling his goodbyes as he went.

Lance was left alone with Allura and Coran, and Blaytz's odd words repeating in his head.

* * *

Pure exhaustion had caught up with Pidge the minute she stepped into her room after that awkward first dinner (date?) with Prince Keithir. She couldn't remember more than crawling beneath her blankets and falling into a deep sleep, but she must have cleaned up and changed into pajamas before that, because when she woke she was no longer wearing the dress Lance gave to her.

Pidge slowly got ready for the day ahead, trying to map out everything she needed to do. Breakfast was first, or else Hunk would hound her about every meal for the next week. After that she was pretty sure she could get away with staying in Green's hangar until lunch.

She tried to remember if there was any important paladin business to take care of after lunch. Usually a day of light training was followed by a much harder one, or else a lengthy flight test in the Lions to help keep their skills sharp. She didn't think Shiro said anything about it before rushing off to join Allura for the meeting...

Her mood took a dip as she recalled how cold she had been toward her leader. She owed him an apology.

And he wasn't the only one who deserved one.

She finished getting ready and left her room, planning a detour to the guest rooms on her way to the kitchen. Every step felt heavy, a feeling of guilt curling tightly in her gut as she relived the walk back to her room the night before, over-analyzing every little detail.

Unexpectedly, the walk had taken a pleasant turn. She'd made a joke and Prince Keithir rolled with it, which wasn't something she thought would happen. (It was so rare that she came across a Galra with a sense of humor.) And then...

" _Red."_

That simple, singular word was enough to knock her off balance. It should have been expected. She should have seen it coming, the moment their conversation began.

" _Red._ "

Pidge stopped outside his door, suddenly unsure if she could get the words out. There was an ache in her chest. A tug. An insistent pull. She could feel Green trying to reach out and offer comfort, their bond stretched tight. She couldn't let her Lion in. Not at that moment. She wasn't ready.

Green's roar vibrated through her, shaking free the last vestige of her control. Pidge stumbled into the wall and slid down to the floor, trembling as her connection to her Lion burst wide open, leaving her paralyzed beneath a staggering torrent of _loss_ and a desperate need to find missing friend-family- _partner_. She clenched her eyes shut, feeling the burn of overflowing tears, her own emotions reflected and magnified by her Lion.

And that was where Keith found her.


	6. Chapter 6

I'm so sorry this one is later than I said! Work's been kind of crazy, which leaves me with less time to write. It should calm down soon. In the meantime, enjoy an extra-long chapter!

* * *

Chapter 6

Pidge felt the Green Lion recede to the back of her mind, easing the heavy weight of despair they shared over missing loved ones. She didn't move from where she was slumped against the wall until she was sure she was fully back in control. Tears continued to flow, even as she opened her eyes and tilted her head back to stare at the ceiling.

"Pidge?"

She lowered her gaze to find Keith standing in front of her, looking down in concern. She could feel the heated rush of embarrassment rise in her chest and settle in her cheeks at being caught sitting in the hall, crying like a pathetic child.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she whispered, her voice catching in her throat. Pidge forced her body to move, using the wall to support her shaking legs.

She couldn't stay there. She couldn't face Prince Keithir in her emotional state. She needed to get to Hunk. To Lance. To Shiro. Pidge needed her friends.

She felt warm hands on her arm, stabilizing her as she started to sway.

"Pidge, what happened? Are you hurt?" Keith asked, his worry clear. "You should sit down."

She shook her head and immediately regretted it as her vision swam. She tightly grasped Keith's arm, mentally cursing herself for ignoring her Lion the first time she tried reaching out. "No, not here. The kitchen."

Keith frowned. "That's too far. Just come inside for a minute."

"I can't." Pidge held firm, but didn't let go of him in fear of falling over. " _Please_."

He hesitated just long enough that she was sure he would refuse and continue trying to talk her into sitting down someplace closer, but then he carefully moved to the side of her and adjusted his hold on her so he had one arm around her waist. He lifted her hand to rest higher on his shoulder. "It's the smaller one, right?"

Relief crashed over her harder than she thought it would as they began to walk. It was slow going at first, as Pidge felt as though her legs were as heavy as lead, but as weak as the food goo Coran had fed them when they first arrived. The feeling wore off more and more with every step she took, until she was sure she could manage on her own.

Keith stayed at her side regardless.

There was only one thing Pidge forgot to take into consideration: walking in on her own in such an emotionally wrecked state would have been enough for her friends to worry, but walking in with a complete stranger guiding her was sure to raise every single protective urge they had.

She had just enough time to register Hunk standing at his usual place at the counter, while Lance and Shiro sat at the table with their breakfast before they spotted her.

"Pidge!"

There was the sound of a chair scooting against the floor and then Lance was in front of her, closely examining her tear-stained face. "What happened? What's wrong?" His eyes snapped to Keith as the half-Galra servant began to back away. "Who the quiznak are you? What did you do to Pidge?!"

"I didn't do anything!" Keith snapped back.

Lance pushed Pidge behind him, hiding her from view. "Well, she didn't do it to herself!"

Pidge scowled as she brushed past Lance to stand protectively in front of Keith, her arms crossed over her chest. "Keith didn't do anything! He was just helping me keep from falling on my face, so don't yell at him for being a good friend!"

"What am I supposed to think happened when you come in here looking like that?!" Lance argued back. "Who is he, anyway? And why does he look human?"

" _He_ can here you," Keith growled.

Shiro finally got up from the table and moved to intervene before tempers could really flare. "Alright, that's enough, Lance. Give them time to explain before you jump to conclusions. Pidge, what happened?"

"I-!" The words caught in her throat as she debated what to say. "Greenie and I had a disagreement, that's all. I guess I haven't really spent time with her for a while... Keith found me and helped me walk here."

Shiro frowned in disapproval. "You shouldn't bottle everything in like that, Pidge."

She couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes. "I know. And I'm going to go see her. I wasn't ready yet."

"Do it after breakfast," Shiro instructed. "We're having a training drill with the Lions tomorrow. And that goes for _everyone_. Spend some time in your hangars today. Whatever Allura has set up for us tomorrow will not be easy." He looked to Hunk and Lance to make sure they understood and then turned his attention to Keith, who shifted uneasily with the focus back on him. "It's Keith, right?"

He nodded jerkily. "Yeah. I'm, uh, Prince Keithir's servant."

Hunk raised an eyebrow as she looked to Pidge to see her reaction. She gave none.

Shiro's gaze remained unwavering as he examined the stranger.

"Wait, so your name is Keith? And you work for Prince Keithir? Isn't that weird?" Lance asked, looking to his fellow Paladins for confirmation. He got only blank or confused expressions in response. With a dramatic sigh, he tried to elaborate. " _Keith_ and _Keith_ ir? Hello, their names are practically the same! Does no one else find that strange?"

"It's not _that_ weird. We had three Johnathan's and two Christine's in class with us at the Garrison," Pidge pointed out. "And yours isn't exactly uncommon either."

Lance opened his mouth to argue back, but realized she had a good point and quickly aborted the potential argument.

"Does anyone want to actually eat food or are you all here to keep me company?" Hunk asked, seeing the end of that particular conversation. "Keith, you can join us. I made plenty."

Keith looked surprised to be included. "Oh, thanks, but I already ate. Actually, I should go. I have chores and stuff."

"I'll walk you back," Shiro volunteered. "If anyone finds you walking alone on this side of the castle, it could cause problems. I was heading out anyway."

Pidge could only watch as Shiro escorted her new friend away from the kitchen, realizing too late that she hadn't thanked Keith for his help. She quietly groaned as she mentally added him to her growing list of people she needed to talk to. (She'd missed out on apologizing to Shiro as well.)

Hunk walked around the counter and forced a plate of food into her hands. " _Eat._ Then please go see your Lion. I've been getting these weird worried vibes from Yellow again and it's starting to mess with me. Like, am I being paranoid or it is just his emotions leaking over?"

"Normally, I'd say it's just you being paranoid, but I'm getting the same feelings from Blue," Lance said. "Whatever's going on between you and Green, we need you to fix it. Because if you don't, you're going to have Blue going all mother-lion on you two and that's the last thing we need right now."

"Yeah, I know. I will," Pidge promised.

* * *

"Is there a reason why you're disguising yourself, Prince Keithir?"

Keith's heart lurched in his throat at the question. Wide-eyed, he looked up at the man walking alongside of him. He tried to keep cool, but everything Thace had taught him over the years about maintaining cover and keeping his emotions in check fled his mind in an instant.

Shiro chuckled. "It's fine. I won't tell anyone. Though in the future, you might want to consider using a less similar name."

"I didn't mean to. Lady Katherine surprised me and it was the first thing I could think of," Keith admitted. Suddenly worried, he asked: "You won't tell her, will you?"

"No, it's not my place to. But Pidge is smart. She hasn't put it together yet, but she will. If I were you, I'd tell her _before_ that happens," Shiro said.

"I – yeah."

It was as close to a promise as Keith could make. She knew it was something he'd have to do eventually, especially after meeting her for a second time in his human form.

 _How_ did he always get himself into such weird situations?

"You're being really calm about this," Keith said, daring to look up at the Black Paladin. "Shouldn't you be mad? I'm lying to her."

"Why are you pretending to be a servant?" Shiro asked instead of giving him a straight answer.

There was something about Shiro that made Keith want to trust him. Maybe it was the obvious care he displayed towards his team, treating them not as common soldiers, but as friends. Maybe it was the thought that if things were going to work even reasonably well between him and Lady Katherine, he would need this man's trust. Maybe it was how he didn't leap immediately to conclusions, but instead waited for the facts to be presented to him. Maybe it was just that there was _something_ that reminded him of Thace, who had been there for him since he was a cub.

Keith rubbed his thumb over his index finger as he began to talk. "At first, I just wanted some time to myself. Everyone recognizes me as Keithir, but like this I'm practically invisible around here. No one takes a second look. I didn't meant to find her while I look like this. I just needed space. Some time to think. It's all I can do here."

Shiro hummed. "What do you do at home?"

"I spar. Usually with my – my mentor," Keith said, stopping himself from revealing too much.

"Are you going to keep seeing Pidge like this?" Shiro asked as he turned left down an unfamiliar hall.

"I don't know." Keith frowned as he hesitated at the juncture, looking first down the way he knew he needed to go, and then to where Shiro was continuing to walk. Was he expected to follow? Was it some kind of test?

Taking a risk, Keith jogged to catch up to him. "Where are we going? This isn't the right way."

A small smile was all Shiro gave in response, which did nothing to put Keith at ease. In fact, it had the exact opposite effect, as a burst of worry began to gnaw at his gut. He reminded himself that Shiro was a Paladin of Voltron – one of the good guys. He wasn't going to do anything that would jeopardize the peace, even if it turned out that he was vehemently against his marriage to Lady Katherine.

There wasn't much more talking between them as Shiro led the way to a pair of large doors, where he stopped to hit a sequence of Altean numbers on the keypad. The doors slid open and as they walked inside, the room illuminated itself little-by-little.

Keith found himself staring in awe at the training deck, left more than a little breathless by how _beautiful_ it was.

"We don't have a regular training schedule and to use any of the programs you'll want someone up in the control room, but you're welcome to use it whenever you need to," Shiro told him. "I wouldn't recommend coming in when Lance or Hunk are doing target practice, but you're welcome to join me in the mornings until Allura gets you keyed in."

Keith stood there, utterly gobsmacked by the trust that had been placed in him. "You'd let me...? Just like that? But why?"

"The way I understand it, you'll be staying here until the wedding and possibly after that. The details are still being worked out," Shiro said. "It wouldn't be fair to ask that of you, but not give you a place to train."

"This is incredible," Keith said softly, looking around.

Daibazaal may have been equal in terms of technology to Altea in terms of functionality, but there was something more sophisticated about the entire castle than anything back home. For the most part, the Galra he trained with preferred sparring with an actual living person rather than a robot or a simulation, though even the most traditional of them could admit that it had its uses for training purposes. (Or for when Commander Sendak got a new, deadly upgrade to his arm and called for volunteers to help him test it.)

"Want to try it out?" Shiro asked. "You'll need a weapon. We have – oh."

With an easy movement, Keith had his knife free of its sheath and ready in his hand. He grinned at the surprised expression on Shiro's face, a little pleased that he'd taken the Paladin off guard. "Already have one."

Shiro recovered quickly and there was a small grin on his face as he stiffly tapped a finger against a device wrapped around his left hand. "Computer, activate training level four!"

Keith got into position as a droid dropped from the ceiling and advanced on him with a staff the moment its feet hit the floor. Adrenaline rushed through his veins as he met it blow for blow, dancing around it in search of weakness.

At last, he was able to work away the stress that had built up since his arrival on Altea; the stress that had begun the moment he received the call from his father.

He was aware of Shiro standing nearby, watching carefully in case anything went wrong. Or perhaps judging his abilities. Keith wasn't sure.

Keith tried to push the thought aside, focusing solely on the robot. Nothing mattered except beating it. Everything else was just background noise, faded in the distance. He couldn't let anything else get to him. He had to prove... something.

 _No! Focus!_

Keith struck hard and fast at the first opportunity he found, but the droid was faster, knocking him down and his blade away before swinging its staff in an overhead arch straight for him.

He froze.

"End sequence!" Shiro barked out.

The gladiator shuddered as it came to a full stop. It stepped back and lowered its weapon before fully deactivating.

Keith sat in the floor, still stunned by how fast he'd gone down. He was aware of Shiro moving around him and then his knife was being held out to him, grasped firmly by the man's non-prosthetic hand.

"Not bad. You did better than anyone else on their first time. Even I have trouble starting out on that level."

Keith scowled as he took back his weapon. "I failed."

"And it's through failure, not success, that we learn and grow stronger," Shiro said, sounding as though it was something he'd repeated more than once. "Sometimes your first opportunity to strike isn't the one you should take. Remember, patience yields focus."

"Now you sound like Thace," Keith grumbled, a little bitter that he'd let himself get taken down so easily. "Why don't you show me how it's done?"

Shiro held up his right arm and Keith could hear the mechanical pieces grinding together with the simple movement. His cheeks went a little pink as he began to explain. "I took a beating trying to spar with Allura the other day. I've been meaning to ask Pidge to take a look at it, but things have been hectic lately. Beyond basic movement, it's practically useless."

"If I find someone who can fix it, would you give Thace access to this place too?" Keith asked. He stood up and sheathed his knife.

"I'd have to double check with Allura, but I don't see why not," Shiro agreed easily. "You know, you don't have to bribe me like that. All you have to do is ask, Keith. Although..." He curled and uncurled the fingers of his right hand, wincing at the strain even that produced. "I won't turn down the offer, if you have someone who knows more about this. Pidge mentioned last time that it's a bit beyond her area of expertise."

Keith still wasn't sure what to make of Shiro. He was... unexpectedly friendly. Anyone else would have asked for a favor in return, but Shiro was willing to give him access to what had only been available to the Paladins for three years, just so he'd have a space where he was more comfortable. His original plan had been to take Shiro to Ulaz, but there was someone else who knew even more about that sort of technology.

He pulled out a small communication device not unlike the ones the Paladins used and sent off a quick message, receiving a ping back almost immediately. "Want to meet them now?" Keith asked, even as he sent back a reply that they'd be there soon.

"Already?" Shiro looked surprised for a second time. "They're here in the castle?"

"She's down in the med-bay right now," Keith confirmed, deliberately being cryptic. He suspected that Ulaz was also down there, though he hadn't gotten a clear answer when he'd asked over breakfast. With two experts in the same place, Shiro's arm was bound to get fixed even sooner.

And maybe, if he was lucky, Shiro would let him come back up to the training deck and show him around some more. That little taste of combat had only left him eager for more.

"I'm not going to get a straight answer from you, am I?" Shiro asked, sounding amused. "That's fair. You lead this time."

Keith gladly did so.

* * *

Before leaving the training room, Keithir remembered to shift back into his Galra form. Shiro had turned his back to the younger man as it happened, feeling it was a more private thing than the prince let on. Once he was done, Keithir led the way down through the halls to the med-bay.

The doors swished open at their approach, allowing them entry. They could hear hushed voices as they stepped inside.

"...think it's sabotage?"

"I cannot think of what else it could be," Ulaz said, before turning to face the newcomers. He raised an eyebrow when he saw who it was. "Well, this is an unexpected sight. What brings the two of you here? No injuries, I hope."

"Not exactly," Keithir replied, gesturing to Shiro. "Could you and mother take a look at Shiro's arm?"

Shiro barely had time to process exactly who the prince had brought him to see before Empress Honerva was at his side, lifting his prosthetic arm to get a better look at it. He was a little flustered at her intense interest, but pulled himself together enough to demonstrate the problem to her by flexing his fingers.

She tutted softly and asked him to stop.

"The craftsmanship is remarkable," Ulaz said as he and Coran joined them. "Whose work is this?"

"I don't know," Shiro replied, thankful to have at least one familiar face nearby. It had been some time since he'd last talked to Coran, but that didn't make his fondness for the Altean any less. "I can't remember anything about my capture. Not fully, anyway. It's just bits and pieces."

"Memory loss from trauma?" Coran suggested

Honerva hummed, her eyes flickering to the shock of white hair hanging almost in his eyes. "Possible, but it was more likely intentional."

"It could be a side effect from linking the new arm to his nervous system. Memory loss is a fairly common problem when it comes to this sort of thing. Do you remember Commander Sendak's first arm?" Ulaz asked.

"He spent a week believing we were attempting to replace his entire body with robotic parts," Honerva said, sounding as though she was trying not to laugh. "But I'm not sure that is what is happening here. It feels more... deliberate." She looked up and Shiro found himself fighting not to break eye contact. "Alfor says you spent several months in captivity, and yet you have little memory of your time there? No recollection of who held you there?"

"Nothing clear," Shiro responded. "All I know is that they took all three of us at the same time. I tried to reason with them and got knocked out. When I came around, Matt was the only one with me. I don't know where they moved Commander Holt."

Keithir made a surprised sound, reminding them that he was still there. "Holt?"

Shiro hesitated, unsure of how much to say. It was Pidge's story to tell, and even though he thought the two needed a helping hand here and there if they were ever going to make their marriage work, there were some lines he was unwilling to cross. But perhaps... he didn't need to detail Pidge's determination to find her family. Just explaining some of it could be enough to smooth the path to understanding between them.

"Commander Holt is Pidge's father," Coran said before Shiro could speak up. "And Matt is her older brother. We've spent the last three years looking into their whereabouts, but, sadly, we haven't had much luck."

"Uh, yeah. It's one of our missions as Paladins, to find them," Shiro said. He winced as Ulaz pried up one of the panels on his arm so he and Honerva could get a better look at the sensitive insides. The two were leaning close and speaking rapidly in Galran, their expressions suddenly serious. "Is everything alright?"

"The technology is stolen," Honerva said, her tone clipped. "It was an incomplete version that was taken. Whoever did this filled in the pieces they didn't know with inferior, untested data. This is why your arm lacks in strength."

A bout of worry spun in Shiro's gut.

"It is surprising that it had lasted this long," Ulaz added, glancing up. "Worry not, young one. It will take some work, but we can fix this."

"Fix it?" Honerva arched an eyebrow as she looked at her fellow scientist. "I fully intend on _replacing_ this. A Paladin of Voltron should not be fighting with faulty equipment! If this had been brought to my attention sooner..."

The idea of a new arm, one built by the Empress herself, if he was understanding correctly, was too much for Shiro. "Please, you don't need to do this."

"I want to," Honerva said fiercely. "And I will not accept 'no' as an answer. Coran, go fetch Alfor. We will need his help with this."

Coran saluted her, quickly hopping into action. "Right away! I'll be back faster than an angry klanmuirl!"

"You should sit," Ulaz advised Shiro as the Altean adviser went racing from the room. "This will take some time."

No one noticed Keithir quietly slip away.

* * *

Pidge almost expected to see a particle barrier up around the Green Lion when she finally made it down to her hangar. It was what the Lion did the last time she wanted to express her disapproval over something Pidge had done. It was her own way of saying: "I'm mad at you right now. Go away."

Pidge wouldn't have blamed her if she did. But there was her Lion, sitting patiently, waiting for her to get her act together. She took a deep breath and slowly approached, stopping when she reached the front of Green's massive paws.

"Hey, girl. I... I'm sorry. About earlier. I just..." She placed a hand on the left paw. "I know you were just trying to help and I shut you out anyway. I shouldn't have and I'm so sorry." Pidge lifted her head to look up at Green's face when she received no response. "Greenie?"

Her Lion shifted under her hand and Pidge took a few steps back as Green lowered her head to the floor and opened her mouth so her Paladin could step inside. Pidge swallowed heavily, feeling some trepidation as she entered the cockpit and sat down. It took her several long minutes before she could bring herself to reach out and grasp the controls with both hands.

"Okay, I'm ready. What do you need to show me?" Pidge asked, closing her eyes and opening her end of their bond.

She was bombarded by images – memories. Some of her own. Some from Green's past.

Her parents, smiling and laughing together. Her dad, standing proud in his uniform. Her mom, helping her build her first robot. Matt, encouraging her to keep learning. Matt, supporting her when she felt like giving up. Matt, reminding her that it was okay to laugh and have fun. Matt and her dad, leaving for space. The news of the crash. Hearing there were no survivors...

Black. Blue. Yellow. Green. Red. Five Lions, working in harmony. Black, leading the way to victory. Blue, moving swiftly and providing defense. Yellow, taking the brunt of hits. Green and Red, racing alongside of each other. Five Lions, forced apart.

Waiting.

Waiting for so long.

The joy of flying again.

Black. Blue. Yellow. Green.

But not Red. Gone, their bond broken. A deep loss felt through them all, but none stronger than Green. Friend. Family. _Partner_. Only heartbreak left.

Bright flashes of color. Hunk and Lance, accepting her as a teammate despite her attempts at pushing them away. Lance, inviting her along on crazy adventures after curfew. Hunk, volunteering as a study buddy and making sure she remembered to eat. Shiro, _alive_ and proving that there was more to the story than they'd been told. Allura, strong and stubborn, pushing them to do better, to be better. Coran, with his colorful personality, inspiring them all.

Bonds forged stronger. Black. Blue. Yellow. Green.

Hope for the future.

Pidge bowed her head and let their combined anguish flow freely.

* * *

Empress Honerva returned to her room late in the day, exhausted but pleased with the work she, Alfor, and Ulaz had achieved together. It had taken some convincing and no small amount of favors being called in, but within the next few days the Black Paladin would have a new and better arm to replace the cobbled-together monstrosity that had been hidden behind a pretty shell for far too long. She was sure he wasn't pleased that she had commandeered the old one for further study, leaving him with nothing until the new one was ready, but she was rather happy about it. She wanted him nowhere near the old one until she could pull it apart, piece-by-piece and analyze every detail until she could find out _exactly_ who dared to butcher one of her old designs.

"I know that look. Have you found a new project, my love?" Zarkon's tone was filled with fondness as he watched her move around their room.

"Several," Honerva said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind a pointed ear. She deposited a bag of her equipment on a nearby table and began digging through it. "How has your day been?"

"Dreadfully boring. It seems someone requested Alfor's help elsewhere on a very important matter, leaving me to handle wedding talks with only Alanna being of any help," Zarkon said. He walked over to his wife and pulled her into his arms, planting a gentle kiss on top of her head. "I have missed you, as well."

Honerva laughed, twisting in his arms so she could stand on tiptoe and kiss him properly. "You saw me this morning."

Zarkon continued to hold her close. "I hardly think that counts when you spent the entirety of breakfast staring at a screen and giving me single word answers."

Honerva smiled as she looped her arms around his neck. "You may be right. I apologize, dear husband. Perhaps I could make it up to you now?"

"Perhaps," Zarkon agreed. He kissed her again. "Do you think I have made the right choice?"

"About what?" Honerva asked, taken aback by the sudden change in topic.

"The wedding. Requesting Keithir's attendance in hopes he would accept the proposal. I feel as though I have betrayed our sons."

Honerva caressed his cheek with one hand. "You are only doing what you believe to be right. Keithir will be fine, given enough time to get to know his bride. And Lotor... he will understand one day. I have faith in him."

"I hope you are right," Zarkon murmured, leading down to rest his forehead against hers. "But I fear my actions have only hastened his plans."

"And we will figure them out and stop them before they progress," Honerva said. "Kolivan and his men are already aware of what is happening, correct?"

"Yes."

"God. Then there is little more we can do at this moment." Honerva pulled away from her husband after one last long, lingering kiss. "No more talk of this tonight. Now, it is just you and me, and I wish to enjoy some time together."

"That sounds like a very good idea," Zarkon agreed.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Hunk awoke warm and comfortable in his own bed and not in the middle of a desert with a name he could barely pronounce, spending the night fighting off large reptilian monsters that wanted to kill him.

Why couldn't he ever get the _nice_ planets like Pidge and Lance? _They_ got to spend a day on their own in a jungle full of colorful flora and friendly fauna and on a planet that was basically a giant ocean populated by _mermaids_.

He was determined he was not leaving his bed for any reason until at least noon. The others would just have to deal with food goo for breakfast. And maybe lunch. He hadn't decided.

Hunk snuggled deeper in his blankets with a happy sigh. He'd sleep for a few more vargas and then get up.

As he started to drift off back to sleep, his bedroom door slid open with a quiet sound and Lance stepped inside with a tray of food. It was the delicious aroma which rouses Hunk from slumber. He made a questioning sound, opening his eyes to watch his boyfriend move around to his side of the bed, where he placed the tray on the end table.

"Hey, babe, I made pancakes," Lance said, his voice full of warm affection. He leaned down to kiss Hunk's forehead, but was unprepared for his boyfriend removing one arm from under the blankets to pull Lance into bed with him.

Lance went down with a yelp of surprise, somehow avoiding kicking the nightstand or elbowing or kneeing Hunk in any unfortunate places. He huffed as he settled down on his side of the bed, brown hair mussed. "So this is what I get for bringing you breakfast in bed?"

"Sorry, I couldn't resist," Hunk apologized with a small smile. "You look cute like this."

Lance's cheeks darkened slightly. "You haven't even said 'good morning' to me yet."

Moving slowly enough that Lance would have time to stop him if he wasn't in a playful mood like he seemed to be, Hunk scooted over until he could easily move his head and kiss him softly on the lips. "Good morning. Thank you for making me breakfast."

Lance smiled as he moved in for another kiss. "I even put in that fruit you like."

Hunk made a pleased sound. "I love you."

"Love you too."

Hunk was happy to make an amendment to his plan. Instead of sleeping until noon, he wanted to spend the morning cuddling with Lance, exchanging kisses, and eating the food his boyfriend had thoughtfully made for him.

* * *

Keithir hesitated at the door to the training deck, unsure if he would be welcome inside that morning, even though Shiro had told him numerous times that he was always welcome to join him. He knew the other paladins were back from their three day long exercise and were less likely to be as accepting of him as Shiro. And if he was being honest, he wasn't ready to see Lady Katherine yet.

"You can't avoid her forever," he quietly reminded himself as he punching in his temporary code and went inside.

Shiro was there, sparring against one of the gladiators, his new prosthetic limb glowing with a faint violet light as he punched his fist straight through the robot's chest. By the look of surprise on his face, Keithir guessed it wasn't something he'd expected.

"It looks good," Keithir called out to him.

Shiro turned to greet him, ordering the program to shut down as he did so. "It feels good. Better than the old one," he said with a smile. "I almost wish I'd asked one of them to look at it sooner."

"So you're not mad about mother taking away your arm anymore?" Keithir asked teasingly.

It was so easy to relax around Shiro, to make jokes and let a sliver of himself shine though without the worry of being judged. Around Shiro, he wasn't the younger prince of Daibazaal, he was just a normal person.

Shiro chuckled. "Not anymore. Though I think I was in the right to be annoyed. I spent three days trying to do everything with only one arm and had to send my team off without me."

"I think you did pretty good," Keithir said. "So, what are we doing this morning? Hand-to-hand?"

Shiro looked uneasily at his arm. "I don't know about that. I'm still learning what this thing can do. And no offense, but your hand-to-hand could use some work. You could get hurt."

Keithir had grown fond of Shiro's obvious concern for his safety in the short period of time they had been training together, but sometimes he felt like the man was trying to tread too carefully. He wasn't going to break from a little rough treatment – he'd been training with Thace and Kolivan since he was just a cub.

"I can handle it. Galra are tougher than you think," Keithir said confidently, as he stepped into the center of the room. "You want to find out what your limits are, right? You're not going to do that by fighting robots all morning."

Shiro looked like he wanted to argue, but Keithir held firm, waiting for the Black Paladin to agree. After a minute, Shiro sighed.

"You're not going to change your mind, are you?"

Keithir grinned. "Not a chance."

Shiro took up a position across from Keithir. "Computer, activate intermediate training protocols."

There was a shimmering effect as a barrier went up around them, giving them enough space to move freely, but providing safety to anyone who happened to enter during their match. Keithir also suspected that there was a safety net in place to prevent any lethal blows from being dealt, which was Shiro's biggest concern with his arm.

And so they began.

From his build, Keithir hadn't expected Shiro to be as fast or graceful as he was. He almost wished he _had_ agreed to gladiators, if only so he could watch the paladin fight. It was more than just his form. With every adjustment Keithir made to try and best him, Shiro adapted as well, never once breaking his stride.

He found himself dodging more and more, moving as fast as he could, trying to find some advantage, some weakness. There had to be something. A chink in the armor that he could exploit. No one was _that_ good.

Except for Kolivan. Except of course Kolivan was that good. He was the leader of the Blade of Marmora, a secretive organization dedicated to the preservation of peace for all worlds. Thinking that Shiro was near that level was crazy.

Right?

The longer they went and the more winded he got, Keithir started to think it wasn't such a crazy thought. Shiro had barely broken out in a sweat and they'd been going for some time. Not to mention that Shiro had been running a program before Keithir showed up.

The door to the training deck slid open to reveal Princess Allura and Lady Katherine, which distracted Keithir just long enough for Shiro to land a hard punch on his right shoulder, knocking him off his feet and crashing into the floor.

He was aware of Shiro cursing and the sound of footsteps racing across the room. Keithir's entire shoulder radiated with pain as he struggled to push himself up using only his left arm. He caught sight of Lady Katherine rushing to the supply room, before Shiro was at his side, blocking his view.

"Prince Keithir, are you alright?" Allura asked, her voice filled with concern.

"I'm fine," Keithir replied, even as his arm throbbed in protest. He looked to Shiro and tried to grin, but it came out as more of a grimace. "I know I teased you about your arm earlier, but dd you really have to show me what it feels like?"

Shiro stared at him for a moment, a bit shocked by the joke, but then caught on and started to laugh.

Allura continued to worry as she hovered nearby. "Are you certain you're alright? We could have a scan done, just to be sure. Maybe you could spend a few doboshes in a cryo-pod?"

"They might still be offline. Coran mentioned it before we left," Lady Katherine reminded the princess as she approached with a lightly glowing, blue pack in her hands. She tried to pass it off to Shiro, but he frowned at her and refused to take it.

"Pidge..." Shiro said gently.

She struggled for a moment before lifting her eyes to meet Keithir's gaze. He couldn't even begin to guess at what she was thinking, her expression unreadable to him.

"Lady Katherine," he said, breaking the tension.

"Prince Keithir," she responded. There was a moment when he thought she had more to add, but instead she held out the glowing pack. "It's for your shoulder. It'll help."

"Oh... thanks." Keithir took it from her, feeling the mild chill it emanated. He wondered how it would help, but placed it on his shoulder anyway. A numbing coolness spread across his skin, penetrating into the forming bruise and bringing immediate relief.

"I should go. I have to check on something," Lady Katherine told Shiro. "It won't take long."

There was something important.

The reason he'd been reluctant to see her again.

It was more than just the awkwardness between them. More than how nervous he felt when he thought about telling her that he was the half-Galra servant she'd been talking to.

"Lady Katherine!" he called out to her as she began to walk away. When she stopped, he knew he had her attention. "Would you like to go on a walk through the gardens later? After dinner?"

She turned her head to look at him and nodded in acceptance. "I'd like that."

Keithir felt relief unrelated to the dissipating pain in his shoulder. "I'll pick you up at your room at seven."

"I'll see you then," Lady Katherine said.

And then she was gone.

* * *

Pidge had no idea what she was doing.

She thought a little time away from the Castle, bonding with the Green Lion, and putting a little distance between her and everything else going on would help her see things a little more clearly, but she felt just as lost and confused as she did before she left.

She hadn't even fawned over Shiro's new arm! It was sure to be a beautifully crafted piece of technology, but the sight of Prince Keithir being knocked to the floor had driven every thought of examining it from her mind. And _then_ she'd frozen up when she brought him the ice pack, like she was incapable of handling even something so _simple_.

Pidge groaned in frustration as she stopped in the middle of the hall.

Why had she just agreed to a walk in the gardens with him? They couldn't even handle a walk from the dining all to her room without her mucking things up and overreacting to the mention of a _color!_

Pidge could feel a sleepy purr from Greenie rumbling through their bond, soothing her and reminding her to calm down.

"Maybe I'll go work on Rover," she said to herself. It would calm her down, and while she was tinkering she would be able to think without her emotions getting in the way and clouding her judgment.

She turned around and began to walk back the way she came, taking the elevator down to the hangars rather than up to the training deck, her mind already calculating all of the changes needed to make Rover work properly.

The elevator stopped sooner than she expected, jarring her from her thoughts and then further knocking her off track as Empress Honerva stepped inside with Coran and a Galra she assumed to be Ulaz.

"Ah, back from training, I see!" Coran said by way of greeting. "Good to see you're in one piece!"

There was something about his tone of voice that set off alarm bells in her head. "Are the cryo-pods still out of commission?"

Coran's mustache drooped. "I'm afraid so. We've tried to boot them back up, but now two of them are no longer working. I'd hoped shutting them down would prevent this from happening, but..." He put on a smile that was meant to be reassuring. "Nothing to worry about! We'll have this figured out in no time!"

There was a soft ' _ping_!' as they arrived on the bottom floor and the doors opened.

"Good luck, Coran," Pidge said as she went to step off.

"Lady Katherine, may I have a word in private?" Empress Honerva asked, catching the doors before they could close. She patiently waited for permission before leaving the elevator.

"Sure," Pidge agreed, her nervousness returning twofold at the prospect of being left alone with Prince Keithir's mother. "We can talk in my hangar."

Promising to catch up to Coran and Ulaz later, Honerva followed Pidge the short distance to the Green Lions hangar. Once inside, she spent a few long ticks looking around in interest.

"You wanted to talk, your majesty?"

Honerva laughed softly. "Just Honerva, please. We're to be family in just a few months. There's no need for such formalities."

Pidge thought she might be able to manage calling the Empress by her first name, but doing the same for Emperor Zarkon was almost unthinkable. "Then please call me Pidge. Or Katie," she requested.

"Katie," Honerva tested the name. "I wish to speak to you about my son."

Pidge's heart rate picked up. "About Prince Keithir?"

Honerva shook her head, locking eyes with the young paladin, her expression serious. "I wish to speak to you about Lotor."


	8. Chapter 8

It's been a while, but I'm back with another chapter! No current plans for any writing challenges/events until April, so I'm free to focus solely on this fic. (Though I absolutely have plans to write something for Hunk's birthday this week, and probably for Shiro's in February.)

Chapter 8

Pidge looked up at Honerva, unsure of how to respond to such a statement. Why would the Empress want to talk to _her_ about Lotor? Did she suspect the paladins were plotting against her son and had picked out Pidge as the weakest target? Was she about to be threatened?

"My son is... a complicated individual," Honerva said, choosing her words carefully. "And I fear that most of what he does is to cover up just how dangerous he can be. I have no doubt that you have heard the stories others tell."

Pidge nodded hesitantly.

"Good. Then I do not need to tell you to use caution. I do not know what Lotor wants with Princess Allura or where she fits into his plans, but I do know he will not take your actions lightly," Honerva warned.

Never once had Pidge imagined having such a conversation with the Empress. The subject of Lotor was a sensitive one, even between Allura and the paladins. To hear Honerva speak about her misgivings so freely was a shock and spoke volumes about how much truth was within the rumors.

Honerva regarded the Green Paladin curiously. "You know all of this, yet Lotor is not the one who worries you."

"It's not that Lotor doesn't worry me, it's just..." Pidge hesitated, trying to get her thoughts in order. "I know what to expect from him. I know he can't be trusted and that we've only delayed whatever he's planning. But with Keithir... I don't know. Until a few days ago, I'd only heard about him in passing."

"He's an unknown to you," Honerva said in understanding. "I remember the feeling well."

Pidge's surprise must have been easily readable on her face, because Honerva laughed softly.

"When I first met Zarkon, it was because Alfor requested my help with a project on Daibazaal. I was so focused on what I was there to do, that it took me _months_ to put together that all of his gifts, all of his visits to talk and learn about what I was doing, it was all his way of asking permission to court me," she said, smiling at the memory. "The only reason I found out was because Alfor caught me researching the topic on my own. I had... grown fond of Zarkon's visits. It isn't often that anyone outside of Alfor or my team takes an interest in what I do and I found it flattering.

"But once Alfor pointed out that Zarkon had been trying for months, I didn't know what to do. I wasn't sure how to act or what to say. I spent _days_ trying to figure it out, hiding myself away from everyone. And then Blaytz came to see me, and I'll tell you now, what he told me then: ' _Just be yourself.'_ That was it, and yet, it was like a great epiphany!"

Pidge couldn't help but smile, easily picturing the scene going down.

Honerva reached out and placed a hand on Pidge's shoulder. "Just be yourself. Keithir appreciates honesty and he'll find it hard to trust you if you are not. He _needs_ someone he can trust. And so do you." She paused, giving her words time to sink in before lowering her hand back to her side. "Zarkon and I leave for Daibazaal in a few days, but we will be back after the courtship period as passed and then we'll make the official announcement of your engagement. If you have any questions about what is expected of you, I will be there to answer them. Or, if you feel more comfortable, you could ask Alfor. He is quite knowledgeable about Galra culture."

"I... thank you," Pidge said quietly. Her mind reeled with the new information, quickly processing it all. There was one thing that stuck out to her as something important – something she needed to know more about. "You mentioned a courtship period? What does that mean? I mean, are there rules to it? Are there steps I need to follow? I don't want to accidentally offend him or give anyone a reason to think I'm not taking this seriously."

"It's nothing as formal as what you're imagining," Honerva assured her. "The minimum period of time is three months, during which you simply spend time together when you can. Dinners are the most common, as are walks, but there are no specific ways, so long as you are getting to know one another. As it progresses, gifts are exchanged. These should be more than simple trinkets – they need to mean something."

"Like something he's interested in?" Pidge asked for confirmation.

Honerva nodded. "Correct. This is also the one step that has a very important rule, and that is that you may not ask for advice on what to get him. It must be something you think of yourself." She paused to wait for Pidge's nod of understanding. "Now, once you feel more comfortable with each other, supervised off-world excursions are typically the next step. At the end of all of that, if both parties are still interested, an official engagement is announced."

"That's it?" Pidge asked, feeling relieved. She had been imagining a big, elaborate affair with more rules than she could keep track of.

"It is. Alfor is rather fond of saying that the Galra are a simple people when it comes to love, and there are times when I find myself agreeing. Alteans have a tendency to overthink things, and from what I've seen, Earthlings share that trait," Honerva said. "But I've taken up enough of your time this morning. Unless there is more you'd like to ask?"

Pidge shook her head. "I'm okay for now. Thank you, Em- Honerva," she said, quickly correcting herself.

"You're welcome, Katie."

* * *

Shiro and Allura exchanged worried looks as Pidge fled the room. They both knew it would be some time before she returned, if she decided to return at all. There was nothing they could do about it at that moment, especially not with Keithir in the room, so they kept quiet and instead focused on helping the injured prince.

"I'm sorry, Keithir," Shiro apologized. "I should have been paying better attention."

"It's fine. I've been hurt worse sparring with Kol- my trainer," Keithir quickly corrected.

Shiro wondered what it was that made the prince not want to talk about the other people in his life, but chose not to pry. "Allura is right though. You should have someone take a look at that, just in case."

Keithir struggled to his feet, wincing a little as he attempted to move his arm to keep balance. "I'll get Ulaz to take a look at it later," he said as he readjusted the ice pack. "I'll just head back to my rooms for now and wait for him there."

"Would you like an escort back?" Allura asked.

Keithir shook his head. "No, thank you."

Shiro watched with concern as the Galra prince walked away, leaving him alone with Allura in the massive room. He felt awful knowing he had hurt him and hoped it hadn't damaged their newly formed friendship. It was the first time in years that he felt a wave of loathing for his prosthetic limb.

Allura shifted a little closer to him, but it was her sharp gasp that really caught his attention. "Shiro, your arm!"

He automatically looked down and froze momentarily, unable to believe what he was seeing. He slowly raised his arm, watching with wide eyes as the silver-and-black was replaced by what appeared to be unmarred human skin. Logically, he knew it was just a new trick of the technology (one he had not been informed about), but it _looked_ real.

"Father gave it cloaking," Allura said, her soft voice filled with awe. She reached out and laid her hand on his arm and Shiro sucked in a breath at the strange, tingling sensation. "This is the next level he's been talking about. I knew he and the other alchemists were working on something involving using the body's natural quintessence to enhance prosthetic's, but is beyond anything I imagined!"

"It's more than that. Allura, I can feel you touching me," Shiro told her.

Allura quickly withdrew, her cheeks turning pin. "I'm so sorry!"

Shiro calmly took her hand with his metal one. "Allura, I can _feel_ this."

Her eyes went wide in understanding. "Oh!"

Shiro wasn't sure how long he stood there like that, reveling in the feeling of holding her hand, but eventually it had to come to an end.

It happened with the slide of he training room door and Alfor's entrance with Coran at his side. Allura quickly dropped his hand and stepped away.

"Welcome home, princess!" Coran greeted, oblivious to what had been happening just seconds before. "How was training with the paladins?"

There was still the slightest hint of pink across Allura's cheeks, but otherwise she looked as composed as ever. "It went well. I do not think Hunk was pleased about the drazlís interrupting his sleep, but other than that, I heard no complaints."

Shiro tried to remember what kind of creature the drazlís were, but failed to come up with anything. He hoped that meant they were of the non-dangerous kind and only had a habit of proving themselves a nuisance.

Alfor chuckled. "I remember a time when _someone_ convinced me it would be fun to gift one to Allura as a pet."

Coran didn't look the least bit embarrassed. "And I stand by that. Though perhaps it would have been wise to speak with Queen Alanna before doing so... I don't think I've ever seen her so angry in all my years."

"You were really going to give me one?" Allura asked, delighted by the idea.

Shiro _really_ hoped that meant they weren't dangerous. Sometimes it was hard to tell with the Alteans.

"Oh, yes! We went out and, with a little help from King Gyrgan, rounded up six of them so you would be able to choose your own! Of course, they got loose when we got them back to the castle and interrupted the Queen's lunch with important delegates from Olkarion. They seemed amused by it, but the Queen was furious! Wouldn't speak to either of us for a full movement!" Coran said, wiping away a tear of laughter. "Good times."

"Shiro, how's your arm treating you?" Alfor asked once he was sure his adviser was done talking. "Has it given you any problems?"

"No. No, it's perfect," Shiro said, struggling to express his gratitude towards the kind who had done so much for him – for all of them – over the years. In the end, all he could manage was a simple: "Thank you, your majesty."

King Alfor smiled. "You're welcome, Shiro."

* * *

Keithir had to admit, the Altean ice pack did its job much better than he'd expected. By the time he got back to his quarters, his shoulder no longer throbbed in pain, and though he hadn't looked at it yet, he was sure it had already bruised a deep purple-black.

He hesitated as he reached for the keypad, knowing Thace would be waiting on the other side with a lecture about remaining vigilant once he was sure he wasn't hurt badly. If Keithir was really lucky, Ulaz would be there to provide a distraction, though he wasn't willing to bet on that considering he'd barely seen the other Galra since their first day on Altea.

Keithir finally tapped in his pass-code and walked inside, only to find his worries were for nothing. He listened for a moment, his ears straining to pick up on any sounds, but there was nothing. As he made his rounds through the rooms, double-checking to make sure he was right in believing that Thace and Ulaz were elsewhere in the castle, he found a note from his mentor.

 _Keithir,_

 _I received a response from Kolivan regarding what you asked me about, and he has promised to have someone look into it. In return, I have been asked to take on a secondary assignment and will be leaving for a short time. Ulaz will remain at the castle with you and Kolivan will be sending another member of the Blade to act as your guard while I am away. They will arrive in two quintants._

 _Should you need me before my return, you know how to reach me._

 _\- Thace_

Keithir's shoulders slumped as he read Thace's letter. He was glad Kolivan was taking his request seriously, but did he really need to send Thace off somewhere else? He couldn't help feeling guilty, knowing Thace and Ulaz had been looking forward to spending some quality time together while they were grounded on Altea.

He reread the message and sighed, knowing it was too late and there was nothing he could do. He just hoped his mentor was right and it really would be 'a short time', unlike his last mission when he was away for nearly seven months.

Keithir didn't stop to wonder who Kolivan would be sending to fill in for Thace. He suspected he already knew who it would be.

* * *

For a second time, Pidge found herself standing in her room, staring at an assortment of clothing and trying to piece together something appropriate to wear on her date with the prince. Sure, she could put on the dress given to her by Lance, but she was pretty sure it would be breaking some unspoken social rule if she did so.

A glance at the clock showed her that she didn't have time to try and find something else if she wanted to eat dinner with her friends before the _stroll through the gardens._ (And when had her life become like something out of a cliché romance novel?)

"Dress it is," she decided, hastily throwing it on before she could change her mind and debate the merits of going to Lance or Allura for fashion advice.

Pidge could sense a shopping trip in her future. There was no avoiding it, but she'd rather deal with it later than sooner.

She gave her reflection a once-over glance and deemed herself presentable enough that no one could complain, and then set off for the kitchen, where she was sure Hunk was hard at work preparing dinner. All she wanted was a friend to talk to – someone who would talk back, and the Yellow Paladin was the perfect choice.

Part of her knew she should go to Shiro after the conversation she had with the Empress. He needed to know about the warning she'd been given regarding Lotor. And yet, with everything else happening around the castle, it didn't feel like the right time to tell him.

Greenie's disapproval rumbled through their bond.

"I'll tell him later, girl," Pidge murmured.

She entered the kitchen a short while later and found Hunk there, perusing his handwritten recipe book while checking to see what ingredients they had in stock. He glanced up when he heard her footsteps and greeted her with a warm smile.

"Aww, you look so cute! Is that the dress Lance got you?" Hunk asked.

Pidge nodded as she stepped up to the counter and rested her arms on top. "Yeah, it is. Speaking of Lance, is he around?"

Hunk shook his head. "We ran into Coran on our way down and he said something about how Shiro and Allura have been in the training room all day, so Lance went to go check on them. Do you need him for something?"

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something first. I'm... I'm not sure how to ask Lance without him getting too carried away about it," Pidge explained nervously. There was the spark of worry that not even Hunk would be able to curtail Lance's enthusiasm, but it was too late to turn back. (And she really did need the help.)

Hunk set his book to the side and gave her his full attention. "Okay, what do you need?"

"Don't laugh, but I need to go shopping. For clothes."

His expression went soft in understanding and he reached across the counter to rest his hand over her. "Just leave it to me, Pidge. I think I know exactly what to do."

Pidge felt a stab of guilt at assuming Hunk would laugh at her predicament. There was a reason she went to him when she needed help with something and didn't want to feel judged.

"This means we're going to the space mall, right?" Hunk asked, turning back to his cookbook. "Hey, do you think that alien who sells stuff from Earth has anything new for us? Maybe he has another cow! Not that I want him to have kidnapped another one, but Kaltenecker seems a little lonely and I think she could use a friend. Or maybe..."

Pidge let her friend ramble on about the possibilities of what they could find on their trip as she moved away from the counter to go sit at the table. She smiled as Hunk moved onto the topic of food and what he hoped he'd be able to make for them. The sound of his voice helped her relax, and took her mind away from thinking of all the different ways her upcoming walk with Keithir could go wrong.

* * *

Prince Keithir showed up at her door at precisely seven o'clock, standing tall and unreadable to her eyes. He attempted what Pidge thought might be a nervous smile as he offered his arm to her.

Pidge began to reach for it, and then paused. She needed to start the night out right. She needed to mend the bridge she'd destroyed after their dinner together.

"I'm sorry about before," she said quietly.

Keithir's brow furrowed in confusion. "About my arm? That was my fault, for not paying attention."

"No, not that," Pidge said with a shake of her head. "When we had dinner and you walked me back to my room. I'm sorry for how I acted. I shouldn't have gotten upset about that."

Understanding dawned on Keithir with the force of a tsunami and he inwardly panicked. How was he supposed to respond to that? He had been fully prepared to pretend like it had never happened, but there she was, already tripping him up. (Not intentionally, he knew.)

What advice had Thace given him? He couldn't remember. "I, uh," he tried stalling as he fought to find the right words, but ended up blurting out: "I'm sorry too."

"You didn't do anything wrong," Pidge told him.

"What I said upset you, and I'm sorry for that," Keithir tried again.

Pidge gazed up at him, unsure of how to respond. She'd expected so many things: acceptance, a demand for an explanation, anger, frustration over the lack of understanding between them... To receive an apology in return gave her hope that maybe, just maybe, they would be okay.

She slid her arm over his and gave him a small smile when he stared down at her in surprise. "You said something about a walk in the garden?"

"Oh, yes."

Pidge felt a gentle tug as Keithir started walked at a comfortable pace, and though she knew the way there even better than he did, she still let him lead her through the halls and out of the castle to the Queen's meticulously kept gardens.

There was the ever-present awkward silence between them, occasionally broken by a bit of small talk, but it was different than before. Whether it was how close they were standing or if it was because their apologies really did heal the rift between them, for the first time, they both _wanted_ to talk.

"How was your mission?" Keithir asked.

Missions were neutral ground, right? Not too personal, but a little more than "how was your day?"

Pidge reached up and adjusted her glasses with her free hand. "It was more like a training objective than a mission. We have these bonding sessions with our lions every now and then, where Allura directs each of us to a planet and we spend a few days alone there," she explained. "Greenie and I always get sent to planets with abundant nature. It's our guiding element or something. I don't really care for the bugs and humidity, but I haven't been attacked by anything yet, so I guess I'm luckier than Hunk."

"It sounds nice. Peaceful. At least your training lets you get outside and see other places," Keithir said wistfully.

"Maybe, but I don't usually get to enjoy the sights. It's always 'focus on the goal, sight-see later' and there's never time later," Pidge said.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. This is the first time I've been on another planet and allowed to relax. There's always someone I need to talk to or training I have to do. No time to just..." Keithir stopped himself and looked away, afraid of letting his bitterness taint their evening. The gardens weren't exactly a private place either, and he was expected to maintain the image of a proper prince.

And proper princes didn't complain about their responsibilities.

"No time to just be yourself."

Keithir looked down at the young woman on his arm.

"Always someone to impress. Someone looking to you for guidance. Even when everything feels wrong, you _have_ to be in control, because everyone's looking to you for the answers," she continued, her voice low.

He swallowed. "Exactly."

Pidge pulled away from him so she could face him fully. As she opened her mouth to say more, a glint of light from the window of a distant guard tower caught her attention. Terror spurred her to action before her brain could register what was happening. She used her entire body to tackle Keithir to the ground, effectively getting him out of harms way.

She felt _something_ graze her left arm, but didn't dare take the time to look at it. All she could hear was the sound of her own heartbeat as she activated the emergency beacon around her wrist and struggled to keep Keithir pinned to the ground.

"Stay down!" she snapped at him.

"You're hurt!" he yelled back. "Let me help you before you bleed to death!"

Pidge stared at him in confusion. She'd only gotten clipped, so of course she was bleeding, but it wasn't that serious. She'd been hurt much worse before. It was the risk she took as a Paladin.

"Katie, _please,_ " Keithir begged.

The shock of hearing her shortened name fall from his lips, coupled with the very thick distress present in his voice, prompted her to finally look at her injury. It was with mild shock that she registered that the entire sleeve covering her left arm was quickly and heavily being stained crimson. "Oh."

It was also at that moment that the pain kicked in and she groaned, shutting her eyes.

 _Quiznak._


	9. Chapter 9

I promised myself it wouldn't take another month to write a single chapter and yet here I am, nearly a month later with the next chapter. I'm so sorry guys! Seriously, I'll be focusing on finishing chapter 10 before I leave for Katsucon on the 15th.

I also just wanna take another moment to give a big, giant THANK YOU to everyone who leaves a review! Whether it's a simple "I loved it!"/"Great chapter!"/etc or something longer with predictions/guesses/questions/quoting favorite lines back to me, it all means so much to get feedback on this fic and it really does keep me writing. As much as I write because it's something I enjoy, I know I wouldn't push myself nearly hard enough to finish this if it weren't for all of you!

* * *

Chapter 9

"Shiro and Allura were way more adorable than usual, right?" Lance asked as he massaged his nightly face mask into his skin. He could hear Hunk rustling around in the bedroom and the clatter of game controllers knocking into each other, which brought a smile to his face. It had been a while since their last casual game night using the console he and Pidge found on their first visit to Space Mall. "Which one of them do you think is more excited about Shiro's arm, him or Allura?"

Hunk laughed. "Shiro, for sure. He's just trying to play it cool."

Lance tilted his head to make sure he hadn't missed a spot. "Well, yeah, he can't show how flustered he is by all of the attention. He's our super cool leader, after all."

Satisfied that he'd sufficiently covered his skin with the mask, Lance rinsed off his hands and cleaned up his mess, making just enough noise that he didn't hear Hunk sneak up on him. He shrieked when he caught sight of Hunk's reflection in the mirror and his boyfriend laughed at him.

"It's not funny," Lance grumbled.

"Sorry, babe," Hunk apologized, but was unable to wipe the grin from his face. "Just checking in to see if you're almost done. I've got our game all set up."

Lance perked right back up. "Oh yeah! Prepare to have your butt kicked!"

"I won't go down so easily this time. I've been practicing," Hunk said, stepping aside to let Lance eagerly race for his favorite spot on the floor. He chuckled as he joined him, settling in just far enough away that Lance couldn't cheat by driving one of his elbows into Hunk's ribs as a distraction or revenge.

Hunk was just about to pick up his controller when an alarm began blaring. There was a split second of hesitation as he met Lance's equally frightened blue eyes, and then the two were moving, the game station abandoned as Lance rushed to scrub his face clean and Hunk scrambled for his communicator.

"Shiro, what's going on?" he asked, the moment he saw his leader's face on the screen.

" _Pidge activated her emergency beacon. Allura and I are already on route to her location. I need you and Lance in your armor and awaiting further instructions, understood?"_

Hunk was already opening the panel in the wall where he and Lance kept an extra set of armor. "Got it. We're getting ready now." He moved almost entirely on autopilot as he stripped down in order to tug on the form-fitting black under-suit. He was aware of Lance soon joining him to do the same, but neither of them said a word, too wrapped up in worrying about what was happening with Pidge.

Years of practice soon saw the pair fully dressed in their armor and exiting their room at a brisk jog. While Hunk activated the map in his bracer to see where in the castle the others were, Lance contacted Shiro.

"She's in the gardens. Shiro and Allura are almost there," Hunk said, easily zeroing in on the brightly colored dots on his map.

"Shiro, we're heading your way," Lance announced. "What's going on out there? Are we under attack?"

" _No. I'm not sure what's going on yet,"_ Shiro responded, his voice strained. Whether it was from his run to the gardens or from not knowing what was happening with Pidge, Lance wasn't sure. _"Hunk, can you get a read on her vitals?"_

"Uh, yeah. Hang on," Hunk said, quickly tapping on the unmoving green dot.

After a handful of kidnapping attempts and the one time a wormhole backfired and left them scattered for _days,_ each of them had been given an emergency tracking device which was to be worn at all times. On top of serving as an emergency distress call, it also monitored basic vital signs.

He frowned at the tiny screen. "Hey, I know the blood pressure readings aren't the most accurate with these, but Pidge's readings are pretty low considering her how high her heart rate has spiked."

Shiro cursed and they could hear Allura mutter darkly in Altean. Hunk and Lance picked up their pace in response.

 _'Hang on, Pidge._ '

* * *

Keithir was no stranger to accidents or injuries, but that didn't stop him from feeling wholly out of place as he stripped out of his outer jacket and pressed the dark fabric against Katie's shoulder, where the bullet had penetrated her skin. She hissed in pain at the contact, but didn't try to push him away or demand that he let her up.

His mind was a whirlwind of half-formed thoughts and ideas. He knew he needed to get help, but he couldn't leave her here alone. It was also too risky for him to break cover. If the sniper was still out there, waiting for another opportunity, then he wouldn't stand a chance even running at his top speed.

"Don't worry. Help's on the way," Katie said through gritted teeth.

Keithir started, pushing a little too hard and eliciting a quiet whimper from the tiny girl. "How did you...?"

"It was the first thing I thought of," she said, holding up her right wrist, which was adorned with a golden band that pressed firmly against her skin. On the underside was a bright green crystal, which steadily blinked to show it was activate. "Emergency distress. The other Paladins are on their way."

Keithir felt a rush of relief at the news. It didn't alleviate the immediate danger they were in, but it was better than he'd thought. "How long until they get here?"

"Not sure. Protocol says we get to our armor first, so it depends on where they were in the castle," Katie explained. "If I had to guess, then maybe ten minutes? Less, if Shiro was still in the training room. I think he's trying to adjust to that arm so he doesn't hurt anyone else." She paused, looking at him with a strange expression before grinning wryly.

Keithir's ears flicked back, listening for the sound of footsteps rushing toward them, but he heard nothing. "What?"

"We almost match."

It was so stupid, so out of place, that he was startled into laughing. "You're delirious."

"I haven't lost _that_ much blood," she responded. "Ugh, this hurts. I thought all of the guns out here fire lasers."

"Some assassins like old fashioned methods. If their client wants to cause pain before the target dies, this is how they do it," Keithir said nonchalantly.

Katie stared at him in confusion.

"I'm a prince, remember? I've been the target of assassination attempts since I was a cub," Keithir bitterly reminded her. "I didn't think it was something I had to worry about here, so I let my guard down. This is all my fault."

"It's not supposed to be something you have to worry about. There are guards stations at each tower and along the wall, and they double the number on days we have guests," she said, frowning. She tried to sit up and get a better look around, but Keithir firmly held her in place.

"Stop moving or you'll lose blood faster," he snapped.

How long had they been waiting? It felt like hours had passed since Katie tackled him out of harm's way. (And when had he started calling her 'Katie'?) Why hadn't anyone showed up? Where _were_ all of the guards? Had no one heard the gunshot?

Keithir wished Thace was there with them, or at least still on-world. He would know what to do. Of all times for him to be called away on mission...

He pressed down a little harder on Katie's shoulder, trying not to let his worry overwhelm him. He just needed to focus on his task.

"You know, I never would have expected you to be so calm about something like this," Katie quietly admitted. "Even Allura panicked the first time one of us got hurt."

"I've had training. I'm the second son, so when I was young, father sent me to be trained by the Blade," Keithir said, realizing a little too late that he'd divulged something meant to be kept secret. He couldn't bring himself to feel too much regret, as Katie didn't react as though she knew what he was talking about.

" _Pidge!"_ Shiro's voice cut through the air with an edge of panic.

Keithir could imagine how bad it looked: him crouched over her, pressing a cloth to her shoulder as crimson blood stained the ground around them.

Footsteps thundered toward them and then Shiro and Allura were there, both dressed in armor, and taking control of the situation. Allura took one look at what was happening and stepped aside to call for the medical team, while Shiro knelt down with them.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Sniper in the west tower," Katie responded, getting straight to the point.

Shiro quickly relayed the new information to Hunk and Lance after assuring them that while she was hurt, she would be fine. "I need you two at that tower. Find out where the guards are and question anyone you see along the way."

"Help is on the way," Allura said as she rejoined them. "Shiro, are you hearing the same reports I am?"

Shiro nodded as he stood back up. "We stick together. This could be a diversion. Keithir, stay with Pidge."

Keithir looked at him in alarm. "You're leaving?"

Shiro's jaw tensed. "Stay with Pidge," he repeated before he and Allura went racing off, determined to track down the one who hurt their friend. Even if the reports of a strange figure were just a diversion, they had to go check.

* * *

The last thing Pidge remembered was being surrounded by a team of frazzled Altean medics, while a tall Galra with light blueish skin ushered Prince Keithir out of the room. The image of his worried, violet eyes was one that burned itself into her brain, and he was the first person she thought of when the anesthesia wore off enough for her to wake.

Her eyes felt heavy as she tried to open them and briefly got a look at the ceiling of a dimly lit room before she let them slide shut again. She groaned miserably.

"Pidge?"

She could feel Shiro shift at her bedside, the mattress sinking slightly at the weight he applied to it. Pidge turned her head and managed to crack open her eyes and give him a sleepy smile. "Hey, Shiro. You look awful," she hoarsely told him.

The Black Paladin chuckled and helped her sit up, rearranging the pillows behind her. "Some of us didn't have the luxury of sleeping for three days," he teased as he handed her a cup of water to sip on.

"Three days?" Pidge repeated incredulously. "Ugh, no wonder I feel like a sack of wet sand. What did I miss? Did you find the sniper?"

Shiro sat up straight, his joking demeanor shifting to one much more serious. "I sent Hunk and Lance to investigate, but they couldn't find anything and the reports Allura and I looked into were also a bust. All of the security around that tower was disabled and the guards..."

Cold dread settled in Pidge's chest. She didn't need Shiro to finish his sentence.

Shiro breathed in and continued. "The Emperor and Empress left early this morning, at the recommendation of the Daibazaal council and Altean advisers. They've requested daily reports and have sent additional support for Keithir's protection."

"Is he okay?"

"He's over there," Shiro said, gesturing to the other side of the room.

Pidge turned her head to find Keithir curled up on a cot nearby, his ears twitching in his sleep. His breathing was slow and steady.

"He took my request to stay with you more seriously than I expected. He hasn't left the room since Ulaz let him back in after stitching you up," Shiro said.

Pidge couldn't take her eyes off of Keithir, flattered that he'd stayed by her side the entire time she was unconscious. "I'm glad he's okay," she whispered, the words slipping out.

Shiro smiled.

"So how long am I going to be stuck here? A few more days?" Pidge asked.

"No. A week."

Pidge turned back to gape at him. "A week?! I can't sit here for a week! I'll go crazy! Shiro, _please_ , can't you do something?"

Shiro crossed his arms over his chest and she knew that there was no getting him to budge on the matter. "A week was all I could talk Ulaz down to. Your shoulder needs time to heal and that won't happen if you're constantly working on projects. If the pods were working, it would be different."

He was right. And Pidge knew he was right, but that didn't stop her irritation from bubbling to the surface. It was a whole week of lost time – of Rover 2.0 left in pieces across her workbench; of her mini-gravitational field generator nothing more than a sketch on a piece of paper and a list of parts and equations; of Greenie sitting alone in her hangar.

"Greenie...!" She lifted up her head, her eyes going wide. "She didn't try to break out, did she?"

"No, you must have closed off your side of the bond on instinct," Shiro responded. "According to Black, she's getting restless. Let her know you're okay while you're still awake."

"I've had enough sleep for a while, thanks," Pidge said, closing her eyes to better focus. She reached out and cautiously felt for her Lion.

A wave of _worry – relief – rage_ spilled over and Pidge struggled to keep their bond open under the onslaught. She focused on keeping her breathing steady and let the emotions flow until Greenie pulled them back and sent through the mental equivalent of an apologetic purr.

Pidge stayed in that space for a while, trying to relay everything to her Lion and receiving well-meaning, but irresponsible advice in return. (Most of it involved creative escape attempts ranging from bribing her guard to climbing out through the vents to Greenie blasting a hole in the wall and flying her far, far away from harm.) Though, there was one idea that had merit.

She wasn't sure she was desperate enough to request for the "small, annoying one" to fly to Altea and try and fix the cryo-pods, but it _was_ a good idea. If Altea and Daibazaal's best couldn't figure it out, maybe the needed the crazy genius.

Shiro would never forgive her for suggesting it.

When Pidge opened her eyes, her leader was no longer at her bedside. In his place was Allura.

"Did you get things settled with your Lion?" she asked.

"Well, she's less likely to go on a rampage to avenge me now," Pidge said, mostly joking. "Where'd Shiro go? I wasn't out for another three days, was I?"

Allura laughed and shook her head. "Not this time. I think it's only been an hour or so since Shiro left with Prince Keithir to meet with the leader of the Blade of Marmora. Kolivan must be fond of him if he's personally here to serve as added protection..."

Pidge frowned, trying to think of where she'd heard that name before. It had only been in passing and struck her as something she wasn't supposed to know about. Maybe she heard it while looking for her father and brother, but dismissed it as being unrelated to her search. "What's the Blade of Marmora?"

"Ah, well," Allura carefully gazed around the empty room to make sure they really were alone. She leaned in closer and lowered her voice. "Not many know that they still exist. I only do because I will rule Altea after father, and I'm only telling you because you'll likely be working closely with them from now on. This must be kept secret, understood?" She waited until Pidge nodded and then continued. "As you know, ten-thousand years ago there was a long, terrible war between Altea and Daibazaal and it was during this war that Voltron first appeared and helped put an end to it all. The original Paladins didn't do it all by themselves, of course. They had help from rebels in outlying systems and planets enslaved by either side, but before any of them, there was the Blade of Marmora.

"Marmora was once a colony planet, populated by Galra and Alteans. It's said there was nothing else quite like it. Of course, that all changed when war broke out and Marmora found itself caught in the crossfire. Daibazaal demanded that all Alteans living there be given up, and any Galra who did so would be pardoned of treason. Altea..." Allura took a moment to compose herself in face of the darker history of her people. "Altea did the same. They sent a message to the planet, saying that any Altean who gave up their Galra family would be spared and welcomed home with open arms.

"Marmora refused. And for that, they were destroyed. An entire planet – one dedicated to the _peace_ between our two worlds, gone in a matter of seconds. Reduced to rubble.

"Those who survived, banded together and began working in secret, infiltrating both sides to gather intelligence. They sabotaged what they could and delivered the information to those who could do something when they could not. Without their work, without their determination, we would still be at war." Allura paused to collect her thoughts and stop herself from delving too deeply into talking about the war. "Since then, the Blade has faded into shadow and myth while continuing to work alongside Daibazaal, Altea, and all of our allies to keep peace in our system."

"But why in secret? Would it really be so bad if everyone knew?" Pidge asked.

"In the past, there have been those who spoke out against the Blade's existence, even after all of the good they have done," Allura explained. "They believe that because all members of the Blade are Galra, or part Galra, their true allegiance is with Daibazaal. But the fact is, most members of the Blade are born on other planets or stations scattered across the universe. Many have never even set foot on Daibazaal. I wish I knew how they were chosen, but it's one of their closely guarded secrets."

Pidge was quiet for a moment, taking time to digest the new information she'd been given. "So... they're here to, what? Keep an eye on things so Altea and Daibazaal don't go to war?" she asked, thinking outloud.

Allura winced. "I don't think it's that serious. The fact is, _someone_ tried to kill Prince Keithir and that's not something to be treated lightly." She sat back and neatly folded her hands in her lap. "Security has been increased across Altea and we have shut down all but the major ports to try and prevent the sniper from leaving, but father and Emperor Zarkon fear they're already long gone. Until further notice, the Lions have also been grounded, unless there is an emergency." She sighed, her blue eyes distant. "So much has happened lately. I don't know how much of it it mere coincidence and how much is deliberate sabotage."

Pidge didn't want to bring up her opinion. It had far too little basis in fact for it to be anything substantial at that moment, and yet... After Honerva's warning, it wasn't something she could ignore.

"This might sound like a strange question, but... where has Lotor been since the night Keithir agreed to marry me?" she asked, carefully watching Allura's face for her reaction.

The princess frowned, her brow furrowing as she tried to figure out why Pidge was bringing up Lotor. And then she paled and sucked in a breath. "You don't think...? Is he really _that_ determined that he would have his own brother killed?"

"I don't know," Pidge responded. "But earlier that day, after I left the training room, Empress Honerva asked to speak with me alone and warned me to be careful around him."

Allura looked troubled. "Her own son... Have you told Shiro about this yet?"

Pidge shook her head. "I was going to, but then everything else happened and I haven't had the chance."

Allura stood up and smoothed the creases out of her dress. "I will let him know. Is there anything you need? I can see if Hunk has a meal prepared. He and Lance have been waiting for you to wake so they can come see you."

"Some company would be nice," Pidge said.

At least with her friends around, she could forget that she was confined to bed for the next week. And if she was lucky, she could convince them to bring her a few things to work on. Just little things.

(Shiro didn't need to know.)

"I'll send them up," Allura promised before she left.

Pidge spent her period of solitude trying to decide what she should ask for. It couldn't be too much, or else Hunk would go into his "worried mother hen" mode and not let Lance sneak her anything. If she couldn't handle three days of Hunk taking care of her the one time she got sick, there was no way she'd last a full week.

"You'll get through this. Be strong," she whispered to herself.

Though their bond, Pidge got the strong feeling that her Lion was laughing at her predicament.

* * *

End chapter

* * *

Okay, so a bit of an info dump at the end. This is just my personal headcanon for how the Blade of Marmora got its name.


	10. Chapter 10

So it's once again been a month since my last update and I'm so so sorry for that! I'm going to try to get back on a more consistent schedule for writing this so that I stop putting off finishing chapters.

Chapter 10

Keithir felt like a coward, being forced to hide away in his quarters under constant guard by his fellow members of the Blade of Marmora. He knew his safety was important, but he hadn't been able to see Katie since she woke up and just hearing that she was doing well wasn't good enough. His nightmares wouldn't end until he could see her with his own two eyes.

He tried explaining how he felt to Kolivan, but the Blade leader only reminded him to have patience while they continued to search for clues about the sniper. Even with the vast amount of resources at their disposal, they hadn't found anything. It was like the shooter was a specter, able to easily slip out of their grasp.

"I should be out there helping," Keithir tried complaining to Ulaz.

"You can help us by not running off and doing something reckless," Ulaz said in response. "I understand you don't feel comfortable being locked away like this, but it is our best option with the Blade spread so thin. Once Thace returns, we will reconsider."

It was so hypocritical to hear that from Ulaz, who'd acted against orders a number of times in the past, that Keithir refused to speak to him for the rest of the day.

After two days of being stuck in his rooms, pestering Kolivan for information whenever he stopped by to check in, Thace returned from his mission, exhausted but successful. He raised an eyebrow when he stepped inside to find Keithir laying facing the back of the couch and Regris standing guard at the door.

"Keithir, what are you doing?" Thace asked with a sigh.

"Regris won't let me leave."

Thace looked to the young member of the Blade, who shrugged and said: "Kolivan's orders are to keep him in here until the castle is safe, so that's what I'm doing."

"I see," Thace said, his gaze shifting back to the prince. "Regris, would you mind going to find Kolivan and let him know hat I have returned? I tried to reach him, but he may have his comms off. I will stay with Keithir."

Regris hesitated a moment and then nodded, leaving them alone in the room.

Thace waited to make sure Regris was out of earshot and then turned his full attention to Keithir. "Come. We don't have long before he returns."

Keithir rolled over to stare at Thace with wide eyes. "You're letting me leave? What about Kolivan's orders?"

"I will be going with you and _you_ will disguise yourself. That should be sufficient protection," Thace responded. "Your uniform will provide the best cover for you, and if you shift to your other form, I doubt anyone would be able to tell who you are."

Keithir's fluffy ears perked up as he pushed himself up into a sitting position, his pessimistic attitude melting away at the prospect of getting out of that room at long last. "Do you mean it?"

"Would I jest about something like this?"

"I'll be right back," Keithir promised. A smile spread across his face as he got up and headed into his room. He slowly shifted as he walked, willing his form to take a more human shape and by the time he started to pull on his Blade uniform, the ringing in his rounded ears had mostly stopped. The dark fabric slid on smoothly and the lightweight armor settled comfortably in place, but Keith took a look in the mirror anyway, to make sure there was nothing that would give him away. Without the mask, it was possible someone could figure out who he was (as Shiro had proven), but once it was on...

Keith watched with satisfaction as it obscured his face perfectly. Even Kolivan would struggle to tell who he was. Whatever lackey Lotor hired wouldn't stand a chance at recognizing him, even if they knew what to look for.

He stepped out of his room and, after getting approval from Thace, set out for the medical wing to visit Katie.

* * *

Pidge had no end of visitors. If Lance and Hunk weren't there to keep her company, she had Allura or Shiro instead. Ulaz frequently popped in to check on her progress and make sure she wasn't putting too much stress on her arm by using her laptop. Coran had dropped in once or twice to regale her with tales of his misadventures with Alfor. Even Queen Alanna found time in her busy schedule to sit at her bedside and talk to her about all of the things happening around the castle.

But there was one person she hadn't seen. One person she wanted to see, more than she wanted to admit.

Aside from the first day she woke up, Pidge hadn't seen or heard from Keithir. Shiro and Ulaz had both explained that he was under constant guard until they finished their investigation, but did that really mean he had to stay away? Surely his guards could handle a simple trip down to the medical wing! And besides that, he'd been left on his own for the first few days and nothing bad had happened.

The temptation to get up and make the trip herself was getting stronger every day.

She needed to see for herself that he was okay. While she didn't remember anyone mention him being hurt, it could have easily slipped someone's notice.

Pidge sighed heavily as she scrolled through the database on Galra traditions the Queen had given her access to. Under any other circumstance, she would have found the wealth of new information fascinating, but she could barely focus on the words, her distracted brain busy coming up with a variety of ways to break out of her tiny room.

How much damage would it really do? Sure, she would have to remember not to use her left arm, but her legs were perfectly fine and that was all she really needed.

Shiro would be furious, of course. (Well, as much as Shiro got furious. The man had the patience of a saint.) If she was being honest, none of her friends would be pleased with her walkabout. She was guaranteed a lecture from _someone_ if she left her room.

Pidge glanced at the time as she turned off the tablet she'd been reading from and set it aside. As she pushed back the blankets and slung her legs over the aside of the bed, the door opened and she bit back a groan of disappointment. She waited, fully prepared to face a round of admonishment from whoever was there to check on her, but nothing came.

She looked up with a frown, but her question froze on her tongue when she saw a member of the Blade nervously standing in front of the closed door. "Who...?"

The mask faded away to reveal a familiar face: Keith.

He raised an eyebrow as he took in her position. "I thought you were supposed to be resting."

"You try doing nothing but lay in bed for three days straight and see how you feel," Pidge responded, making no move to gt back under the blankets. She was committed to her plan and it didn't look like Keith was going to stop her, so she might as well press on.

She used her good arm to balance herself as she stood on wobbly legs.

Keith muttered something she couldn't quite catch as he quickly walked forward to help her stand and keep upright. "I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to do this."

Pidge rolled her eyes. "Everyone acts like I'm going to die if I try and do anything on my own. I'm not some weak little girl, and believe it or not, I know what my limits are!"

"No one thinks you're weak. I know I don't," Keith told her, his voice surprisingly soft. "You took a bullet meant for m- my prince. And then you kept protecting him. Everyone's worried because they've never had to wait around for an injury like this to heal. Maybe they're being overly cautious, but they mean well."

Pidge thought "overly cautious" was an understatement, but he had a good point. It was one she had to keep reminding herself so she wouldn't start yelling at her friends.

She relaxed against him, surprisingly comfortable with how close he was to her. His warmth was a welcome change to the cool air of her sterilized room.

"Sorry for yelling," she apologized.

"It's okay. Do you want to walk around for a few minutes?" Keith asked.

"Yeah," Pidge said, carefully pulling away from him. She made sure not to strain her left arm or let the bandages pull too tightly as she took a few shaking steps around to the front of her bed.

Keith stayed where he was, but watched with sharp eyes to make sure she wouldn't fall.

She took a few more steps until the pins-and-needles feeling in her legs finally went away. It felt incredible to be up and moving around on her own, even if it mean pacing around the bed and feeling foolish in front of a guest she hadn't expected to see.

"I didn't know you're a member of the Blade of Marmora," Pidge blurted out, unable to handle the silence for too long.

"Oh, uh, yeah. I'm around the prince all the time, so they thought it would be a good idea if I was trained," Keith explained, sounding unsure. "No one would expect a servant boy to be capable of fighting."

"That's a really good idea," Pidge said. She stopped at the other side of the bed, staring at the wall as she worried her lower lip in thought. "How... how is the prince doing? I haven't seen him."

Had she turned around at that moment, she would have seen Keith drop his gaze to the floor, sorrow clearly visible on his face.

"Prince Keithir is fine. He... he sent me to see you until the lockdown is lifted. It's not safe for him to walk the halls alone and Kolivan is worried that a single guard won't be enough. Everyone's stretched too thin to give him added protection, so he's been stuck in his room too. He hates every minute of it, of course."

"Oh..." Pidge turned and resumed stretching her legs. It was oddly comforting to know she wasn't the only miserable one. "I'm glad he sent you, Keith."

"Well, I can't imagine Regris would be good company for you. He likes to tease too much and doesn't know when to quit. Sometimes I think about throwing things at him," Keith said in a wistful tone.

Pidge smiled at that. "He's one of the prince's guards?"

Keith nodded. "He's just a few years older than us, which means everyone thinks he's the best choice to stay with the prince. I think it's just because no one has the patience to work with him right now."

Pidge paused to look at him, surprised by how easily he offered up information on a member of a secret organization, but the small grin on his face told her everything she needed to know. She sat down on the edge of the bed, not ready to lay back down, and gestured to the empty chair nearby.

"Lance and Hunk are two years older than I am. They both drove me _crazy_ back before we left Earth. Lance was always going on about hitting the town and flirting with girls and every time I turned around, Hunk was trying to take apart some of my equipment to see how it worked!"

Keith gladly sat down and listened to her talk.

"Things have been better since we got here, but sometimes I catch Hunk eyeballing one of my inventions."

"One time, Regris and I had a training mission together. Simple recon stuff, but he had me _convinced_ that we had to be careful where we set up camp because there was a massive, flesh-eating plant that would creep along the ground and eat unsuspecting campers in the middle of the night," Keith told her. "I nearly stabbed him in the eye when he grabbed my ankle in the middle of the night."

Pidge laughed, leaning forward to launch into a series of tales about Lance's attempts to get Shiro to "lighten up" and "have fun".

* * *

Was it childish to throw up her arms and scream "freedom!" the moment Ulaz cleared her to leave? Probably, but Pidge did it anyway.

Or she tried to, but it wasn't as effective with her left arm bound in a sling, preventing her from moving it too much.

Lance grinned at her attempt and playfully nudged her with his elbow. "So, what are your plans with your newfound freedom?"

Pidge didn't have to think about it. "First, a shower. And then I need to go down and show Greenie that I'm okay. After that..." she dragged it out, watching her friend's reaction from the corners of her eyes. "I may have some new, experimental firecrackers to test out. They shoot blue sparks."

Lance pumped a fist in the air in excitement. "You are my favorite tiny genius!"

"Slav will be devastated to hear that," Pidge teased, laughing at the disgusted look on Lance's face. "Wanna grab Hunk and meet me in the lab in an hour?"

"Fine. But only if you _swear_ you'll never try and tell Slav that I like him," Lance said, unable to keep a straight face for long. "Do you think there's any reality where that guy isn't super annoying?"

"No, I think Slav's the one universal constant," Pidge responded.

They met each other's eyes and laughed, knowing full well how silly their conversation was. After that, they split up, Pidge to go get washed up and Lance to track down his boyfriend.

It was a great relief to be able to walk around without worrying about someone fussing over her. A shower felt even better, as she scrubbed away everything that had built up over the past few days and washed the greasiness from her hair.

Dressed in clean clothes and feeling better than ever, Pidge made her way to the hangar, where Greenie lowered her head to get a better look at her injured paladin.

"Hey, girl," Pidge greeted, her voice low. She reached out and happily patted the cool metal of her Lion's lower jaw, unable to reach any higher than that. "I'm okay. It might be a while before we can fly again though."

Greenie purred and then pulled away, settling back into her usual sitting position.

Pidge took a little extra time to make sure Rover 2.0 was where she left him and that Hunk hadn't tried to tinker with him while she was away. Then she collected the firecrackers she'd been experimenting with for fun and set off for the safety of the labs, which were better equipped to handle the sort of "testing" she had in mind.

Hunk and Lance were waiting for her there, both of them looking excited.

"Good thing Shiro doesn't know how easy it is to get you two to show up at the promise of blowing things up," she teased them.

"Training simulations are boring, even if there are explosions involved," Lance retorted. "So where are they? In that box? Can I see?" He held out his hands and wiggled his fingers, as though that would entice her to hand it over.

Pidge kept the box firmly tucked under her right arm. "Oh no. I remember what happened the last time we did this. I think Hunk and I will handle setting them off this time."

"One eyebrow was _not_ an attractive look for you," Hunk said when Lance turned to him for support. "Sorry, but I'm with Pidge on this one."

Lance dramatically swooned, placing the back of his hand against his forehead. "I've been betrayed by my own boyfriend!"

"A boyfriend who loves you and cares very much about keeping you safe," Hunk said.

Pidge let the two of them fuss as she walked away and began setting up for the first test. It was the smallest in her box of goodies and the wrapping around it was neon green with blue dots. She thought it would be the perfect way to start things off.

"What's this one do?" Lance asked, bouncing back from his disappointment.

"Nothing special. It's like the standard ones Coran gave us, but it sends up dark blue sparks instead of the bluish-white. This is the first one I made," Pidge explained, setting it down in an appropriate area. She fumbled to light it with only one arm and then backed away and activated the barrier around it.

As she hoped, the Altean equivalent of gunpowder caught quickly, producing a loud _bang!_ And a shower of blue sparks which shot into the air before raining down and fizzling out.

Hunk and Lance ooh'd and aah'd appropriately.

Pidge grinned and playfully bowed. "Thank you! Thank you! Now, how about something with a little more _razzle dazzle_?"

"Now that's what I'm here for!" Lance said encouragingly.

And so went their afternoon, with the pyrotechnics getting bigger and brighter until Pidge had used up everything she brought with her. She made careful note of which ones were a success and which needed a bit of tweaking, but for the most part they all worked as expected.

The three took time to clean up their mess and then they were off to the kitchens for a late lunch.

"So, a little birdie tells me you're interested in shopping for clothes during our next trip to Space Mall," Lance said.

"Does this 'little birdie' like cooking and the color yellow, by chance?" Pidge asked in response.

"Possibly," Lance acknowledged. "I ran it by Allura to see what she could do to clear us to leave the planet, but that's not happening anytime soon. She proposed an alternative."

Pidge wasn't sure she was going to like where their conversation was going. "Which is...?"

"Well, since you're going to be working with the royal tailors for your wedding gown, why not give it a try now with some simpler styles?" Lance suggested. He easily read the disgruntled expression on her face and pressed on. "You don't have to think about your gown yet. It's just to see who you feel most comfortable working with – who understands what you want."

It was a good idea. It would take her a while to get used to the idea of someone designing clothing meant just for her. The whole thing felt like too much. "I guess..." she grumbled, knowing Lance was waiting for a reply.

"Shiro says they're officially lifting the lockdown tomorrow and opening the main port back up. Security is staying on high alert, but Allura should be able to easily get us clearance. Me and Hunk were thinking we could go down there and look at fabric and stuff once trading opens back up and see if there's anything we like."

"Just for new clothes, right?" Pidge asked sounding worried. The mention of her wedding had dredged up all of her worries about designing her own gown, which she was far from ready to do.

"Right. And I want to look too. My robes have seen better days. I'm thinking something silky. Something that feels _really_ nice against my skin." Lance watched Hunk closely as he kept talking, clearly fishing for some kind of reaction. "I'm thinking about trying a different color this time, since I already have so much in blue. Maybe a nice gold or... yellow?"

A reddish hue blanketed Hunk's cheeks, spreading to the tips of his ears, and Lance grinned in triumph.

Pidge wisely stayed out of it.

* * *

At Coran's advice, they didn't leave the castle on the first day the lockdown was lifted, which was more than okay with Pidge. It gave her a little more time to catch up on projects and spend time with the Green Lion. It also gave Allura enough time to talk a reluctant Shiro into joining them on their day out.

On the third day of the port being re-opened, the four paladins and Allura left the castle with a handful of guards tagging along for their protection. With one of their number still recovering from an injury and the princess (albeit fully capable of handling herself in a fight) among them, no one dared to argue with King Alfor's one demand.

Pidge had other worries on her mind than whether or not it made them look incapable of defending the universe (Shiro's fear) or if it meant they had to stay huddled together as a group (Hunk's fear). There was something that had been bothering her since the day Ulaz released her from bed-rest, and while it'd been easy to brush aside at first, it was no longer something she could ignore.

Prince Keithir.

Keith had been to visit her a number of times, entertaining her with stories and listening to her own. Each time he would express the prince's sorrow at being kept away from her, but shouldn't that be over? Kolivan himself had declared the castle safe enough for everyday work to continue, though new security measures were in place and more guards standing watch than Pidge could ever recall. That meant Keithir's confinement had to be over.

She hadn't seen him once.

Pidge sighed, barely paying attention to what Lance was trying to tell her. All of her thoughts were on her future husband and what could possibly be running through his mind to make him avoid her for so long. (Because that was what he was doing. She was sure of it.)

She didn't notice when Hunk and Shiro extracted themselves from the group to go check out food vendors set up down the way, nor did she hear Allura's delighted squeal when she spotted her favorite silk in the exact shade she'd been looking for. She only started paying attention when Lance took her right hand and gently squeezed.

"Still with me?" he asked.

Pidge nodded. "Uh, yeah. Sorry, I was just thinking about a few things."

"It's okay. Come on and take a look over here. I think it's kind of like cotton. Soft, a little stretchy. Might make a cute dress to replace the other one," Lance said.

Pidge felt a stab of guilt at the reminder. The dress he'd picked out for her had been ruined when she took the bullet meant for Keithir. "Lance-"

"No apologizing," Lance interrupted. "That wasn't your fault, but if you _really_ want to make it up to me, I get to pick out fabric and design one of your dresses."

"I didn't know you were so into fashion," Pidge said.

Lance shrugged. "Mom was always into it, so I guess that rubbed off on me. It was always a bonus that it was a good way to impress the ladies." He paused, a strange expression flitting across his face. "Uh, maybe don't tell Hunk I said that."

Pidge squeezed his hand. "Hey, we all know you now use all of your skills to seduce Hunk. It doesn't matter what you did before."

Lance was unusually quiet for a moment. And then he slowly breathed out, trying to let go of whatever was bothering him. "Yeah, you're right."

"Which is why, before we leave, I'm going to help you find the _perfect_ shade of yellow for your new pajama's. We'll make sure Hunk won't be able to take his eyes off of you," Pidge said confidently.

"Robes," Lance automatically corrected, a small smile appearing on his face.

"Pajama's," Pidge teased in a sing-song voice, resulting in a tiny scuffle as she had to defend her hair from being vigorously ruffled in revenge.

* * *

Pidge marched down to Keithir's quarters later that day, determined to get to the bottom of why he'd been avoiding her while sending his servant in his place. (Not that she had anything against Keith. He was quickly becoming a dear friend to her and she enjoyed spending time getting to know him better.)

She wasn't sure where her burst of bravery had come from, but she wasn't going to let it go to waste.

Pidge came to a stop at his door, where a masked Galra with a prehensile tail stood watch. He stared at her for a moment, or she thought he did, the mask made it difficult to tell. Then he nodded and moved aside, letting her step forward to knock.

"He's been sulking all week," the guard informed her.

She didn't have time to ask what he meant by that, as the door slid open to reveal a second Galra, one who did not wear a mask. Yellow eyes regarded her warmly and there was a smile on his face as he welcomed her inside.

"I am Thace," he introduced. "It's nice to meet you, Lady Katherine."

"Call me Pidge," she requested out of habit, her face coloring faintly. "Or, um, Katie, if you'd prefer."

Thace chuckled. "Keithir is through there," he told her, gesturing to a door to the right.

"Thank you," Pidge said. She could feel her bravery ebbing away as she approached the room. There was no turning back.

She reached out and knocked, the sound impossibly loud to her ears. And then she waited, seconds stretching out until they felt more like minutes.

The door opened and Keithir stared down at her with wide eyes, his mouth parted in surprise. "Katie?"

"You... you didn't come see me," Pidge said. Her words came out less accusing than she thought they would, her anger flickering out at the sight of him.

He looked tired, but unharmed.

"I know. Kolivan wants me here for a while longer, just to be sure it's safe," Keithir said apologetically. "I sent Keith to find you this morning, but one of the guards said you were out of the castle for the day."

He wasn't avoiding her. It was just another _stupid_ misunderstanding, which had almost led to her yelling at him.

Pidge wasn't sure whether she wanted to laugh or cry.

"Katie, I'm really sorry," Keithir apologized again. "I wanted to... I just..."

"I'm glad you're okay," Pidge blurted out, beating down a number of emotions threatening to bubble to the surface. She could already feel the painful sting of tears and the burn in her throat that made it hard to breathe.

The worst part was, she didn't know _why_ she wanted to cry. There was no rational reason her mind could come up with that made sense. All she knew was he was safe and alive after she came so close to losing him and that was enough.

A hot tear slid down her cheek.

Looking back, she would never be sure which of them made the first move. When she came to her senses, he had her carefully wrapped in his arms, letting her soak his shirt with her tears. The top of her head barely came up to his chin and she could feel his breath rustling her hair as he whispered: "Thank you for saving me, Katie."


	11. Chapter 11

This is a long one, but I was determined to wrap up their first month of courtship in this chapter. So enjoy!

Chapter 11

Pidge hummed as she pulled up the coding for Rover's artificial intelligence, her keen eyes scanning over it for any clue about her beloved robot's continued instability. It was an insult to her programming skills that she'd been unable to solve such a simple problem.

Maybe it wasn't the programming. Maybe there was some crucial piece (or pieces) missing. The sentry _had_ been pretty trashed when she picked it up, but she'd been so sure that she'd gathered everything she needed to complete her pet project. Pidge may have to put in a word to her suppliers and see if they had anything.

She was contemplating accessing their secure line to see if they were in the area, when the door to the Green Lion's hangar slid open and Allura and Lance stepped inside looking positively giddy. Pidge's eyes were drawn to the simple brown package in Lance's and she raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"It's finished already?" she asked, turning away from her desk.

Lance nodded, hurrying over to her in his eagerness to hand over his gift. "I gave Nilani the design a while ago, but couldn't find a good reason to get her to make it for you. Now, I do!" He held it out to her as Allura caught up to him.

Pidge accepted the package and slowly peeled away the tape, knowing the anticipation was killing her friends.

After several days of deliberation and looking at the work of several of the royal tailors and dressmakers, Pidge found herself gravitating towards the work of Lance's personal favorite – a half-Altean girl named Nilani, who'd developed a fascination with Earth culture and welcomed the challenge of designing for them. The parcel Lance had brought her was the first finished example of her work and Pidge didn't have the faintest clue how it was going to look.

While Lance squirmed, Allura stood with a beaming smile and her hands clasped in front of her, a sure sign that the princess was struggling to maintain her calm and cool appearance.

Pidge raised her eyes to meet Lance's as she leisurely lifted up the first layer of wrapping.

"You are a cruel friend," Lance informed her.

Pidge laughed and finally ripped the paper away, eager to see it for herself. She saw the rich purple first – not too dark, but not too pink either. As she held it up, her attention was down to the wide panel of white down the center of the dress. The fabric itself flowed smoothly and was just the right thickness that it would drape nicely over her body.

"You liked the one I found at Space Mall, so I picked a style similar to that. The sleeves are longer, because I thought that might be more comfortable for you, and I think the skirt is shorter, so if you don't like it-"

"Lance," Pidge interrupted because he could get too carried away. She couldn't tear her eyes away from her new dress, so similar to the one she'd worn for Matt's graduation, just before he and their dad left on the Kerberos mission. "I... I love it. It's like having a piece of home."

(A piece of her old self. Of Katie, the girl who dreamed of being a pilot and finding out for herself what the stars had to teach her.)

Lance looked relieved.

Pidge stood and tried to hold the dress against herself so they could get a better look, but doing so with one arm proved a bigger challenge than she expected. She messily tucked the left side beneath the sling to hold it in place and then didn't dare move or risk it slipping free.

"It's beautiful," Allura complimented. "Though it may cause a bit of a stir if people see you wearing Prince Keithir's colors so soon."

Pidge wasn't really sure how she felt about that. A few weeks ago and she likely would have set the dress aside, burying it somewhere deep within her closet until she was sure she could look at it without feeling uncomfortable. However, after everything they'd been through, after the very nice evenings she'd spent in his company the past few days, she found she didn't mind so much.

"Speaking of Prince Keithir, how are things going with him?" Allura asked, genuinely curious.

"Good, I think," Pidge said. "We're actually talking to each other now." She folded up her new dress to the best of her ability and put it on the corner of her desk where she was sure to remember to pick it up and take it back to her room later.

"Does that mean you'll stop glaring at the floor whenever someone mentions wedding stuff?" Lance asked.

"I don't-! I didn't!" Pidge sputtered in protest.

"You did," Allura and Lance said in unison. They looked at each other and grinned.

Pidge slumped in her chair as she sat back down. "Ugh, I _did_ , didn't I?" she asked rhetorically.

As much as she wanted to blame being in pain for her dour mood towards anything wedding related, it had honestly started before her injury. She was learned hard and fast that just because she'd voluntarily offered herself up in Allura's place, it didn't mean a part of her wasn't still resentful for that.

"It's not too late, you know," Allura reminded her, her voice soft. "Empress Honerva bought you three months for an official courtship. If either of you decides it isn't something you can go through with, no one would fault you for breaking it off."

"But then you'd have to marry Lotor," Lance said before Pidge had a chance to find the words.

Allura closed her eyes. She breathed in deeply and then slowly let it out. "Yes, I would."

"That's _not_ going to happen," Pidge said with steel in her voice. She twisted her chair around so she was facing her computer screen, which meant she completely missed the twin expressions of surprise from Allura and Lance. "I won't let that happen to you, Allura. Besides, Keithir isn't so bad. I could be... content with him."

 _Content_.

She could see having a fantastic friendship with him, even with their rocky start, but that didn't mean they would fall in love and live happily ever after. They were two very different people, with just enough in common that they could get along and work well together, but that was all she saw.

Allura and Lance left soon after, giving Pidge more time alone with her thoughts.

* * *

Pidge worked until her stomach rumbled so loudly that she could no longer ignore it. She saved her progress and shut down her equipment before stretching carefully to release some of the stiffness in her back that had built up from sitting still for so long. Before leaving, she made sure to grab her dress and stuff it into a bag alongside a file of blueprints to work on back in her room, and then she was off to Hunk's kitchen.

When she arrived, she found Shiro dressed in full armor, calmly leaving instructions with the others. Hunk and Lance were notably _not_ wearing their armor.

"What's going on?" Pidge asked.

Hunk looked as though he was struggling not to laugh. "Uh, someone mentioned bringing Slav in to look at the cryo-pods. Kolivan just came and told us that he's agreed to fly over here, but only if Shiro's the one to pick him up."

Pidge chanced a quick glance at Shiro's face and had to hide her grin when she saw his eye twitch at the mention of Slav's name. As much as the crazy genius drove all of them up the wall, no one handled it worse than Shiro. There was something about Slav that pushed every single one of his buttons in the worst way. What made it better (to everyone else) was how much Slav loved the Black Paladin, probably because he was the only one willing to go above and beyond to fulfill his ridiculous conditions.

"I'll be gone for a few days, but that doesn't mean you three can slack off," Shiro said sternly. "Allura will oversee your training while I'm away. Even yours, Pidge. You're still capable of running laps."

Suddenly Pidge wished she was still confined to a bed. Training under Allura's guidance was bound to be a hellish experience. Even after three years of working together, the princess still forgot that their stamina and strength wasn't equal to that of Alteans and would push them until they couldn't stand.

Lance groaned, vocalizing everyone's thoughts on the matter. "Are you sure we can't take a _tiny_ break? A few days wouldn't hurt, right?"

His question at least make Shiro smile and Pidge wondered for a moment if it was his way of getting revenge for their obvious delight that he was the one going to get Slav. She pushed the thought away. Shiro wasn't _that_ petty.

(Yes. Yes he was.)

Pidge's stomach chose that moment to gurgle loudly, reminding her of the reason why she'd let her hangar. She blushed as everyone turned to look at her.

"Hunk, you're in charge of making sure everyone eats properly," Shiro said, sounding mildly amused.

That was an instruction the Yellow Paladin was happy to agree to.

* * *

It wasn't uncommon for conversation to come to an abrupt stop when Keithir walked into a room, whether he was in the royal palace on Daibazaal or at home in the Blade headquarters. So when he exited his room and Thace and Kolivan went silent as they turned to regard his arrival, he wasn't surprised.

"You should hear this," Kolivan told him.

Keithir had been fully prepared to step out for a few minutes to let them wrap up, so he was pleasantly surprised by their invitation to learn more about what was happening. Even if it turned out to have nothing to do with the assassination attempt, it was still nice to be involved in something after being shut out for most of the week. He joined them, trying not to seem overeager.

"Part of my mission was meeting with an informant who has news from someone close to Lotor," Thace explained. "According to him, Lotor returned straight home to Daibazaal after leaving Altea. There have been no noteworthy changes to his behavior and he hasn't met with anyone unusual. By all appearances, he had nothing to do with the attempt on your life."

"But who else could it be?" Keithir's question came out as a demand. He flicked his ears back and looked away, waiting for the reprimand about keeping a level head.

"We doubt Lotor is innocent in this matter, which is why we will continue to investigate him. It is much more likely that this has been planned for some time, but certain events have caused him to act hastily," Kolivan explained, crossing his arms over his chest.

Thace shifted uneasily. "What worries me is how quickly his plans have adapted to the currant situation. Ulaz is certain that Lotor is behind the malfunctioning cryo-pods. It cannot be coincidence that it happened the same day you agreed to marry Pidge, though it seems unlike him to make such an obvious move. I believe the two of you have taken him by surprise more than anyone expected," he said, sounding a little proud. "This is the best opportunity we've had in years."

"It has also become clear that Lotor is not working alone. We've suspected as much, but the sniper confirms it. Furthermore, the ease in which they avoided being caught suggests that it was the work of two people, rather than one. If he truly hasn't been seen meeting with anyone, they are far more than hired goons given the task of killing you. They have his trust," Kolivan said.

The clear worry in his voice struck Keithir with vivid shock.

"You and Lady Katherine must remain vigilant."

Keithir's stomach churned at the thought of it. It was one thing for his life to be in danger, but the reminder that Katie was just as big of a target as he was made him feel ill.

Logically, he knew she was fully capable of taking care of herself. He'd heard stories of the Green Paladin's courage and ingenuity in the face of adversity and had seen a spark of that for himself. In a fight, there was no question that she could hold her ground and come out the winner in the end.

But Lotor was a different battle. He was clever and didn't pull his punches, striking wherever he found a weakness to exploit. He had strategy and finesse on his side, as well as years of experience thanks to careful training. (He _was_ raised to be the future Emperor, after all.) Keithir had never met anyone who was able to out-think his brother, and even with her quick thinking and brilliant mind, he wasn't sure even Katie had a chance.

"We've sent for Slav," Kolivan told him. "He'll arrive soon to see what he can do about the healing pods and then we'll have one less thing to worry about. That leaves us with two more days of vulnerability. If Lotor has anything else planned for us, he'll strike before then."

* * *

Pidge stealthily made her way through the halls, ducking out of sight whenever she was about to encounter a guard or one of the Blade. It was unlikely that anyone would stop her, but if word got back to her friends that she was leaving the Castle to go down to port on her own, without any additional protection and her wound still healing, they'd probably lock her up until Shiro returned. (Admittedly, that wouldn't be too long, as Shiro was due to return that evening, but she'd still rather avoid it.)

Just a little further and she would be free.

"What are you doing?"

Pidge barely withheld a shriek of surprise, spinning around to find the source of the voice. She spotted them quickly, tucked away in one of the small alcoves which seemed to serve no purpose except to break up the monotony of the otherwise straight corridor.

"Keith," she breathed in relief.

He pushed his hood back and deactivated his mask. "It's dangerous to go out on your own."

Her relief at seeing her friend quickly shifted to frustration. She was so tired of everyone trying to baby her and tell her what she could or couldn't do. She was a Paladin! There was always danger waiting for her, but that didn't mean she had to cower in her room out of fear!

Pidge turned away from him and kept walking. "I'm just going to see some friends. I won't be long."

Swift footsteps followed behind her. Keith made no effort to hide the fact that he was following her.

"I don't need a baby-sitter, Keith!" she snapped.

Keith caught her by the arm, tugging her to a stop. "Are you insane? You have _no idea_ how dangerous Lotor is! He's not going to pull any punches just because you're injured! You can't go out there by yourself!"

Pidge ripped her arm from his hold, frustration mounting to rage. "You can't tell me what to do!" Her voice echoed down the hall, much louder than she intended. Her face reddened slightly, but she held her ground.

Keith, it seemed, wasn't going to back down either. (Pidge wondered later if it was because he was used to dealing with an equally stubborn prince.) "Just _listen_ to me! Lotor is done playing games. He's going to use every advantage he can take and you going out there by yourself is playing directly into his hands! You're going to get yourself killed, Katie!"

His use of her real name made her feel as though she'd been doused in cold water. So few people called her by that name anymore – Keithir was the only one, actually – and it was enough to make her stop and think.

"Please don't go by yourself," he said, his voice a little softer. "It doesn't have to be me, but don't go alone."

Pidge closed her eyes and took a moment to breath and calm herself. She wouldn't let herself be ruled by anger. It had a horrible way of getting her to yell at people who didn't deserve it and muddying her normally logical thought process.

"I guess having backup wouldn't be so bad... Just stay close and try not to draw attention to yourself," Pidge told him, eyeing his dark uniform. They had little hope of not standing out, but if they acted natural, no one would watch them closely.

Keith fell into step next to her as they left the Castle. A heavy and strained silence stretched between them, hanging on by a fragile thread that neither of them was ready to break.

Pidge was still steamed about how he tried to order her around, as though she was a child who needed to be coddled and protected because she couldn't do it herself. It didn't matter how much time had passed. It didn't matter that she was considered an adult by most cultures, on Earth or otherwise. She doubted she would ever shake the paranoia of others treating her like she was too young.

"Who's this friend you're risking your life to see?" Keith asked.

"Friends," Pidge corrected, ignoring the obvious jab. "They're kind of my suppliers for unusual tech that I re-purpose for my own use. Sometimes they bring me interesting news."

Keith looked impressed. "They're your informants?"

"In a way. They're able to fly under the radar, so they pick up on tidbits no one else hears about. Sometimes it's useful. Sometimes it's just rumor. It's easy to pick out which is which when the rumors are usually something like Commander Sendak being spotted vacationing at the spa on Traxia's twelfth moon."

Keith chuckled. "That does sound unlike him."

"Yeah, I always figured he was the sort to enjoy fighting more than anything else. If anything, a spa day would be like torture to him," Pidge said jokingly.

The two fell quiet again as they reached a more crowded area. Keith moved a little closer to her, his sharp eyes watching out for anyone who looked suspicious. Pidge pressed on, knowing exactly where she was going as she led the way through the winding streets packed with people.

They walked for some time, but eventually she spotted the old junker parked on the edge of port. Grinning, she strode forward to greet the blue-skinned alien who was moving boxes off of the ship.

"For a while I was afraid I'd have to come bail you out of trouble again," Pidge called out.

The alien stood up straight and lazily smirked in her direction. "I'd be flattered if I didn't know the real reason you'd come to our rescue. Beezer's helping Nyma with a few things inside right now." His gaze slid to Keith, who stood rigidly at Pidge's side. He raised an eyebrow. "Who's your shadow?"

"This is Keith. Keith, this is Rolo," Pidge introduced. "So, you said you found something for me?"

"Straight to business, as usual," Rolo teased. "But yeah, we picked p those parts you asked for the last time we were here and I think Nyma has some spare pieces for your sentry. You two come on in and I'll find them for you."

Keith's gaze flickered to Pidge, who followed Rolo onto the ship with a bounce in her step, wrapped up in the delight of finally getting to start the projects she'd been postponing due to lack of materials. (Sure, she could ask Allura for all of the Altean tech she could dream of, and had done so more than once, but there was something infinitely more fulfilling about salvaging stuff that anyone else would declare garbage.)

"Keith, are you coming?"

He finally moved, unsure about walking onto an unfamiliar cargo ship, but willing to trust that Pidge wouldn't deliberately lead him into a trap.

"Nyma, Pidge is here!" Rolo called towards the front. At his words, a faint barrier built itself across the ramp of the ship, cutting them off from the outside world.

Keith's hand immediately went to his dagger as he slid into a defensive position, fully prepared to fight his way out.

Rolo caught sight of the movement and raised an eyebrow. "Twitchy, isn't he?" he remarked to Pidge.

She looked back, her eyes going soft when she saw him. "Keith, it's fine. The barrier just prevents anyone from listening in to what we're saying. It's not keeping us stuck inside. See?" She stuck her hand through it to prove her point.

Keith relaxed at her demonstration, a little embarrassed by his reaction, and let his arms rest back at his sides.

"You obviously have more than parts for me today," Pidge said as she walked over to stand next to Keith. "What's going on?"

Rolo leaned back against a wall before he started talking. "We've started to hear talk about rebellion in the Outer Reaches. Seems there's a couple of planets willing to band together and 'take back what's rightfully theirs'. Mostly we figure they're talking about the colony planets and stations held by Altea and Daibazaal. They've never been fond of either spreading their influences that far, but this is the first time anyone has dared rally against them."

Keith frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. "You're talking about the Napamku Quadrant."

Rolo nodded.

"That's Lotor's territory. The Galra colony and two outposts are under his control, to help him prepare for ruling the empire," Keith quietly told Pidge. "The Blade's picked up whispers of unease for years, but nothing like this." He directed his attention back to Rolo and raised his voice so the other could hear him clearly. "Are you sure?"

"I wouldn't be telling Pidge if I didn't think it was serious."

"Kolivan and Shiro need to hear this," Pidge murmured.

Keith agreed, silently vowing to find Kolivan the moment they returned to the Castle. His sharp eyes were soon drawn to movement behind Rolo and he watched as a female alien joined them with a sealed crate and a small robot at her side.

The robot beeped in excitement when it noticed Pidge and she squealed in response, dropping to her knees as it rolled over to her and playfully bumped against her side until she enveloped it in a one-armed hug.

"It's good to see you too, Beezer! How's the best robot in the whole universe?"

Beezer gave a series of different toned beeps in response.

Nyma watched on with amusement. "Sometimes I think the salvage is just an excuse to see him."

Pidge was too busy holding a conversation with the robot, though Keith couldn't help bu wonder if she actually understood the little guy or if it was entirely one-sided.

Rolo cleared his throat in an attempt to get her attention. "That's not the only rumor we've heard, though the next one have been dismissed as too far-fetched so far. Nyma overheard this one during our stopover at the Fripping Bulgogian. Seems a couple of Galra had a bit too much to drink."

"They say you've agreed to marry the Galra prince to fully establish ties between Daibazaal and Voltron," Nyma said, sounding surprisingly uneasy with the idea. "It's not true, is it, Pidge?"

Pidge looked away and that was all the confirmation Nyma needed.

"Be careful, okay? Prince Keithir is said to be kinder than his brother, but that doesn't mean you aren't treading dangerous waters. Getting between them is risky."

Pidge's shoulder throbbed painfully, as if echoing Nyma's concerns. "Yeah, I know. I'll be careful." She gave Beezer one last affectionate pat and then stood up. "Anything I can do for you two while you're here?"

"If you could, ask Hunk to come down and help me give this baby a look over," Rolo requested. "I think she's overdue for a tune up."

"Sure," Pidge responded, stepping forward to retrieve the crate of parts from Nyma. She hesitated upon realizing she didn't have a good way to carry it back to the Castle by herself. She could feel her cheeks heating up as she looked to Keith for help. "Could you...?"

Keith looked a little startled at being asked, but walked over and picked up the crate with ease.

After that, they said their goodbyes and began the long trek back to the Castle.

"Thanks for carrying that for me," Pidge said after several minutes had passed.

"You're welcome. How were you planning on getting it back by yourself, anyway?" he asked.

"I, uh, didn't really think about that, I guess," she responded, unable to look at him. "Normally they don't have this much for me and I can just carry it back in my pockets or in a small bag."

Keith hummed and didn't say anything else for a few minutes until another question struck him. "What's all of this for?"

Pidge instantly brightened at being asked about her projects, something few people dared to bring up anymore. "Some of it's so I can finish my repairs on Rover! Oh, Rover's this Galra sentry that I found and decided to rebuild. He's going to help me around the hangar and keep Hunk from borrowing my things without permission. I've just about got him working properly, but he's not _quite_ there yet. Last time I turned him on he chased Hunk around the room until I told him to stop!" She laughed at the memory. "The rest is for a miniature anti-gravity machine! Ages ago, I found these cute little fuzzy aliens floating around in a scrapyard and brought a few of them back to the Castle with me. The problem is, I can't turn off the gravity in my room, which means all they can do now is crawl around. _But_ , if I can generate an energy field small enough that it won't interfere with anything else..."

Keith was content to listen to her babble on about her plans, enjoying the way her face lit up as she spoke. He'd been a little taken aback at first. He hadn't expected her to dive right in and explain it with such eagerness. Not to him.

It was clear her tech was something she was very passionate about and in a small way it reminded him of his mother.

Pidge talked the entire way back to the Castle, and while most of it went right over his head, Keith managed to think of a few relevant questions to ask along the way. It was for that reason that Pidge invited him inside of her hangar instead of having him drop it off just inside the door.

"Want to meet Rover?" Pidge asked, already heading towards her workbench.

Keith heard her question, but stood just inside the room, frozen in place at the sight of the Green Lion. He knew the Lions were massive, but to actually see one in person...

Golden eyes seemed to bore straight into his blue-violet ones, almost as if the Lion could see directly into his soul. He shuddered at the thought.

"Greenie, behave," Pidge called out.

The staring lessened somewhat and Keith willed his legs to move. He carried the crate to the desk and put it down where Pidge told him to, but before he could excuse himself to try and get away from the Green Lion, a pyramid-shaped object flew into his arm and beeped indignantly. And then it repeated the process.

"Like I said," Pidge said, grabbing Rover before he could carry on. "It's a work-in-progress. I'll have him working perfectly soon."

Keith watched her gently caress the tiny drone before shutting it down and he couldn't help but smile at her treatment of it. It seemed there was more to her than he'd imagined.

* * *

"I found the perfect place to practice!" Allura happily said to Lance, before dragging him from the comfort of the couch and the middle of a huge boss battle.

"But my high score!" he yelped, fumbling with the controller. His head drooped in defeat when it fell from his hands and clattered to the floor.

Lance let Allura drag him down the hall and into a room that was no longer in use. He and Pidge had once tried to turn it into a yoga studio for a bit of lighter exercise, but it didn't last longer than a week.

"So what are we practicing?"

Allura let go of him and gracefully spun around, her hair flowing around her like a rippling silver river. "Dancing, of course! You _did_ say you'd help me so I can properly teach Pidge, remember?"

The memory was coming back to him and Lance grinned as his excitement rose to match hers.

"I know Coran is a little busy today, preparing for Slav's arrival, but I thought we could at least get started with the basics. Once you've got that down, it will be easier to understand what Coran is telling you to do," Allura said. She held her hands out to Lance, inviting him closer. "Shiro once taught me your Earth 'waltz' and I've found it quite similar to the Galran _akr_ _íg,_ so we'll start there."

Lance hesitantly got into place, his nervousness bleeding from every movement he made. "Like this?"

Allura hummed and adjusted his hand on her waist before beaming up at him. "Perfect! Now, if I remember correctly, you lead."

"O-oh, right," Lance stammered, taking another moment before guiding Allura in small, cautious steps. "I think it's like this? Sorry, it's been a while."

"You're doing fine," Allura told him.

Emboldened by her confidence in him, Lance relaxed, his movements growing more confident with every minute that passed. Soon, they were gliding around the room, both smiling and carrying on a conversation about how well they thought Shiro was handling getting stuck transporting Slav by himself.

"I feel like he's cooking up a horrific training exercise for us at this very moment," Lance said with a shiver.

"Only if he hasn't thrown himself out of the Black Lion to escape," Allura joked.

"You should've gone with him," Lance told her. "You could've spared him from such a horrible fate _and_ gotten to spend an entire day alone with him in the cockpit, just the two of you." He grinned and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. " _Romantic._ "

Allura rolled her eyes, a dark blush settling over her cheeks at the insinuation. She made no attempt to deny his words as she normally would. "I had considered..." She stopped herself with a shake of her head. "It wouldn't be appropriate. This is for the best, at least for now. Perhaps after the wedding."

"Do you really want to wait that long?" Lance asked, all trace of playful banter gone. He swallowed a wave of bitterness at the reminder of the situation Pidge had gotten into. "Pidge got you two a second chance. You can't throw that away. You and Shiro... you two are perfect for each other. It's the sort of relationship that people _dream_ about having. So to see you two dance around it, knowing that you both feel the same, it's hard to watch.

"There's always a risk with dating. It... It changes everything and if it doesn't work out, it never goes back to exactly the way it was before. But if you don't take that risk, you might miss out on something wonderful," Lance said, his voice low. "I was petrified when I realized I was in love with Hunk – in love with my _best friend_. It could have ruined everything. I was so sure of it. And then... and then _that_ mission happened and all I could think was that I never had the chance to tell him how I really feel and it almost killed me inside.

"So don't wait, Allura. Don't wait until it's almost too late."

* * *

The healing pods were fixed and the twitch in Shiro's right eye promised retribution to his fellow Paladins. Pidge chose to abscond the moment Ulaz proclaimed her shoulder fully healed, abandoning her leader before he could convince her to remain with him while Slav went on about proper pod maintenance and potential improvements.

She would usually be tempted to stick around longer. As crazy as he was, Slav had one of the most brilliant minds she had ever come across and when he actually stayed on topic, talking to him was enjoyable. But she had other plans. Plans she had set into motion earlier that day and was actually kind of excited about.

Up until that point, Keithir had been the one to invite her on their dates. First had been the dinner disaster and then there was the garden stroll, which started out decently, but ended worse than the first. They'd spent several evenings talking in his quarters under the watchful eyes of Thace, but she wasn't counting those as proper dates.

"Third time's the charm," she said to herself as she walked into the kitchen.

Predictably, Hunk was there, putting the finishing touches on the food she'd asked for. He looked up when she entered and broke out into a huge smile. "You're healed!"

She playfully flexed her left arm, taking delight in the freedom she'd regained. She swore she would never take the cryo-pods for granted again.

"I'm one-hundred percent back to normal!" Pidge said as she joined him at the counter. She breathed in deeply, melting at the delicious smells. "Have I mentioned that you're the best friend _ever_? Because this is incredible, Hunk."

Hunk blushed at the praise. "It _is_ pretty great, isn't it," he said, looking over his hard work with pride. "I hope you don't mind, but I'm borrowing your dinner idea for me and Lance. I found this really cute spot in the southeastern part of the gardens where you get a good view of sunfall and I'm going to surprise him."

"Aww, that's so sweet!" Pidge said sincerely.

Together the pair packed two picnic baskets, carefully arranging the food inside so nothing would get crushed. Some of it was left behind for Allura and Shiro to enjoy, just in case they decided against joining the King and Queen for dinner.

While Hunk went to track down Lance and whisk him away for a surprise romantic dinner, Pidge gathered up her courage and headed to the room Keithir had been given.

He was waiting for her outside the door, quietly talking to the Blade who was there to protect him. He looked annoyed by something, his ears flicked back as he crossed his arms over his chest, but the moment he caught sight of her, that all went away and an expression of pure awe took its place.

Pidge shoved aside her impulse to look down. She'd worn her new dress knowing the sort of reaction it might bring. Maybe she should have listened to Allura's warning and saved it to wear another time.

The masked Blade roughly nudged Keithir when he continued to stare, knocking the prince from his stupor.

"You, um, look nice," Keithir said awkwardly.

"Thanks," Pidge said. She wanted to scream at herself for being so nervous about talking to him. What _was_ it about calling it a date that always rendered them unable to function properly? She ducked her head as she felt her cheeks start to heat up and had to shift the basket from one hand to another as her palms started to sweat.

The simple movement spurred Keithir into action, years of training kicking in. "Here, may I?" he asked, gesturing to the basket.

Pidge almost insisted on carrying it herself, but something about the way he asked, so uncertain, left her feeling okay about handing it over to him.

It wasn't about strength or weakness. It was an offering to help, if she wanted it.

* * *

If Keithir thought he'd been nervous before, both of their previous dates paled in comparison to Katie leading him down to her hangar, where the Green Lion silently sat. The great beast made him unexpectedly anxious, as he doubted it would take kindly to his unintended double life and Keith and Keithir.

Katie, luckily, didn't pick up on his inner turmoil, and in fact looked wrapped up in her own thoughts as she nibbled on her lower lip.

It wasn't just the Green Lion that had his stomach twisted in knots. Seeing Pidge in that beautiful shade of deep purple (Daibazaal's royal color), it suddenly struck home that in a few short months he would be married to that clever, brilliant woman. She would be the one he would spend the rest of his life with.

They entered the hangar and, as before, Keithir's body froze up the moment he set eyes on the Green Lion. He could hear the whisper of a question in his head – an utterly foreign and bizarre feeling – but it was gone before he could rationalize it.

"Keithir, are you okay?" Katie asked.

Keithir tore his gaze away from the Lion, glad to find he could move once again. "I'm fine."

She studied him closely for a moment and then let go of whatever question she had building in her mind. "I know it's not the most traditional picnic, but after last time I thought this might be safer. I tried to make it as comfortable as I could. Allura helped." She turned and gestured to the floor behind her, where a green-and-white checkered blanket had been spread out over a mat.

It was simple. Relaxed. The exact opposite of how he'd been taught a proper date should be when wooing a lady.

Keithir loved it.

"It's perfect," he told her and was rewarded with one of her bright smiles.

The two made themselves comfortable on the cushioned blanket and Katie started unpacking the basket, handing things to Keithir to arrange between them.

"Sorry about Regris," he apologized. "Kolivan still has him on guard duty, just in case."

Katie sat up as she removed the plates from the bottom of the basket and handed one of them to him. "Your safety is important, especially since we still don't know how the sniper got in or out of the Castle. At least you don't have to be within sight of him at all times when you're inside, right?"

"True," Keithir agreed, thankful that his friend could be reasoned with. He doubted Regris really wanted to stand by and watch them on their date, no matter how much the older Galra liked to tease him about doing so.

He waited until Pidge opened the first container and began spooning out food for herself and then picked a box of tiny breads stuffed with what he thought might be meat of some kind.

Their conversation continued along those lines, as they compared notes on what they'd been told of the new security measures. From there, they moved onto the planets they missed visiting the most, but would be unlikely to see again for some time.

As the last bit of food was eaten, their simple date started to wind down and Keithir helped her clean up whatever he could.

"Can I ask you something?" Katie asked, out of the blue. "I've been wondering for a while now, but... why did you agree to this? I did it so Allura wouldn't marry Lotor, because she deserves to be with someone who makes her happy and I... Well, I could do something to make sure that would happen, so I did it. But you..."

Keithir took a moment to collect his thoughts. He had been wondering when she would ask and had been so sure that he was prepared for it, but all of his good excuses fled his mind as she looked at him with those big brown eyes. "Lotor and I got along once, but that was a long time ago. At some point, he decided I would be a hindrance to his plans, whatever they are, which makes me expendable.

"So I decided to do everything I can to get in his way," Keithir admitted. "I'm sorry you got mixed up in this, Katie. I never meant for anyone else to get involved."

He wasn't sure how she would take it.

Thace and Ulaz had lectured him about needlessly endangering himself when he told them. Regris had (affectionately, in a way) called him an idiot. Kolivan's response had been to push him even harder in training, determined to see his youngest Blade thrive.

Katie huffed in amusement and reached fr her half-full glass of juice, lifting it in his direction. "Here's to getting involved in dangerous situations most people try to avoid."

Keithir gently clinked his glass against hers.

Upon reflection, several months later, he would realize that was the moment he started to fall for her.

* * *

Lotor was less than pleased with the way his plans were turning out.

After months of subtly influencing members of his father's council, he'd finally had Allura within his grasp, only to have her snatched away thanks to his so-called brother and that annoyingly clever Green Paladin.

He'd hoped to settle the matter and get his plans back on track by taking Keithir out of the picture, but once again that _child_ got in his way. His only consolation was that Ezor had managed to successfully sabotage the healing pods for long enough that the paladin had to suffer the pain of her injury.

Perhaps he'd acted too rashly, allowing his rage to swallow him for a brief time. He would do better in the future.

Lotor silently watched his team of elite fighters banter with each other, all of them feeling the stress of the past few weeks. With Acxa's failure to kill Keithir and being spotted by the Altean guards while helping her escape (forcing her and Ezor to take care of the guards so they could never speak of what they saw), they were all waiting for the inevitable punishment.

It wouldn't come.

The two of them, as well as Narti and Zethrid, were completely loyal to him and him alone. Criticism would be enough to inspire them to do better.

"Zethrid, I have a mission for you," Lotor said, a slow smirk curving across his face. A success would do well for morale and he had the perfect idea. "I think you'll enjoy this one."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

 _Navigating the Waters of Galran Courtship,_

 _A Handy Guide_

 _By Coran Hieronymus Wimbleton Smythe_

 _For my dear friend, Honerva._

 _Chapter Five: The Giving of Gifts_

 _So, you've spent time getting to know one another and it's time to take the next step in your courtship!_

" _But, Coran, how will I do that?" you ask. Worry not, friend! This humble guide is here to help you!_

 _After the usual rigors of spending time getting to know each other, it is time for the gift giving to begin. Either party may start this process and while some may wish to adhere strictly to alternating who is giving the gift, there is no rule saying it is necessary. In fact, the only thing to keep in mind is that no outside help can be given in deciding what the gift will be. It must be something that comes from the heart! This is why the first step in Galra courtship is so important. If you've truly put in the effort to get to know one another, this will be as easy as spotting a glittering horphlump on the fields of Atrarta!_

 _This tradition began with Emperor Vanark the First, who wished to prove to the one he loved just how much he cared for them and how he would provide for them and any of their future children..._

* * *

Pidge had no idea what she was going to do.

Sure, things were going well between her and Prince Keithir. They had mostly overcome their awkward silences and lengthy pauses and she felt like she'd _mostly_ grown comfortable with marrying him in just five more months. (At least, she no longer had that mildly bitter feeling about what she'd gotten into.) But it'd already been a full month and, according to Empress Honerva, they were meant to be moving into Step Two of their courtship.

What could she possibly get for a prince who could get anything he wanted just by asking for it?

Sure, she had ideas – half a dozen of them, at least – but either they didn't strike her as the perfect gift or they would take too much time to put together.

She had to get it right.

"You look like Shiro does every time he has to be around Slav for longer than ten minutes," Lance remarked.

Hunk looked at her thoughtfully for a few seconds and then shook his head. "Nah, there's not enough pent up frustration for that. It's more like... Oh!" He snapped his fingers in excitement. "That one time Allura wanted to teach her mice a new acrobatics routine, but couldn't come up with the perfect grand finale!"

"You're right, but there was also that other time when you-"

"I'm starting to regret agreeing to go on patrol with you two," Pidge interrupted dryly. "Can we talk about something else? Or just focus on what we're supposed to be doing?"

"We could, but you look like there's something bothering you. Is there anything we can do to help?" Hunk asked.

For a moment, Pidge was tempted to tell them. There wouldn't be anything wrong with that, but she also knew that even if she asked them not to help, they wouldn't be able to stop themselves from trying anyway.

Pidge shook her head. "Not this time. This is something I have to figure out on my own."

Hunk looked as though he wanted to pry a little more, but Lance derailed whatever he was thinking about with a question.

"So who wants to know what today's team meeting is about?"

Pidge and Hunk turned to him, near identical expressions of surprise on their faces.

"How do _you_ know what it's about?" Pidge demanded. "I've been trying to get Shiro to drop a hint since breakfast yesterday!"

"Ah, see, that's where you went wrong. I get all of my information from Allura," Lance told them, as if he was divulging something top secret.

Hunk pouted. "And you didn't tell me first?"

"Sorry, babe. It isn't exactly what I'd call 'pillow talk' and it's easier to tell you both together," Lance said with a shrug. "Anyway, it sounds like the plan is for us to start working together with the Blade of Marmora, so Shiro and Kolivan have spent the past week figuring out a training schedule. That's what he's going to tell us about tonight."

"Wait, are we training _together_ together or just splitting times to use the training deck between both of us? Because I'm not sure how well our styles are going to go together..." Hunk said, already worrying.

"Dunno. Allura would tell me that bit. I tried, but all I got from her after that was that I'd have to wait and see," Lance said.

Pidge's thoughts were already straying. Working with the Blade of Marmora was bound to be an interesting experience and she was looking forward to seeing the different fighting styles each member preferred, but her mind was still stuck on her gift-giving problem.

Maybe it was time to make a list of all the things he'd mentioned liking or showed an interest in. It might give her some idea – a direction, at the very least. She was tempted to build him something, but that would take time and a part of her wanted to be the first one to give a gift, just to show she was willing to follow his traditions. Her willingness to make their marriage work.

"...lost Pidge again."

"Huh?" she looked questioningly at her friends, who were watching her with a mixture of amusement and worry.

"Are you sure everything's alright?" Hunk asked. "And don't say you were 'just thinking', because that wasn't your thinking face, it was your 'I'm fretting about something and don't want to bring it up' face."

"Do I really make different faces like that?" Pidge asked, talking more to Lance for confirmation than Hunk.

Lance nodded. "A little. I think your eyebrows get a little more scrunched up when you're worrying."

Pidge sighed. "I'm fine. Really. You guys don't need to be concerned about me and you're _definitely_ not allowed to snoop through my diary again, _Hunk._ "

He at least had the decency to look bashful at being called out like that. It'd been three years since he last did that and he'd always felt a little guilty about it, though he couldn't bring himself to completely regret it. After all, his snooping did lead to them finding the Blue Lion, thus starting their adventure into space.

"Are you sure there's nothing we can help with?" Lance tried one last time.

Pidge shook her head.

And that was the end of it.

* * *

It had taken several long days of very serious discussion with Kolivan, but in the end there was only one choice that made sense: the Paladins of Voltron and the Blade of Marmora would combine forces to protect the Alliance and the people of the Universe. Which then led to an even longer talk to work out a training schedule for both groups, and the frustrating task of tracking down Coran to get him to make key cards for the Blade members stationed in the Castle.

At last, they'd gotten it all settled. They would hold their first session in the morning. All Shiro wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep his stress away, but first he had to sit the team down for a talk.

Getting them in one place was the easy part. Hunk's cooking had everyone gathered in the kitchen on most nights, so making sure Pidge wasn't hiding out in her hangar and getting Lance away from the video games was an easy task.

Shiro cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "I have something important to talk to you all about."

"If this is about us training with the Blade of Marmora, we already know. Lance told us," Pidge piped up.

"Pidge!" Lance whined, wilting in his seat as Allura turned a scowl in his direction. He squirmed uncomfortably. "Well, it's not like you used your _'you must keep this a secret, Lance'_ voice!" he said, mimicking her accent.

"I do _not_ sound like that!" Allura exclaimed, sounding affronted. "Do I, Shiro?"

"Uh?" Shiro shrugged, unsure of what the right answer was. He didn't want to lie to her. That wouldn't be right. But he got the feeling that outright agreeing with Lance wasn't in his best interest either. "We've decided that our first exercise will be tomorrow morning. Kolivan and I have planned something we believe will work for both teams. This is going to be new for all of us, so I need you all to take this seriously."

The mood quickly sobered as everyone gave their agreement. There was always a playful element to their own training that went hand-in-hand with how comfortable they were after working together for so long. The reminder to take it seriously wasn't unfounded.

"Make sure you get a good night's sleep. Preferably in your own bed, Pidge," Shiro said, not unkindly.

Pidge sulked a little at being singled out. It wasn't like he fell asleep in her hangar on purpose!

Hunk lifted a hand into the air, a habit he still hadn't broken from their days at the Garrison. "So, uh, why the change? What's going on that means we need to work together? Is it just because of the attack or...?"

"It came around because of that. But it's mostly a precaution," Shiro explained. "Our objectives aren't dissimilar, though we have very different ways of achieving them. The Blade are able to work in secret, while we..."

"Burst into the scene, guns blazing?" Lance offered.

Shiro nodded. "Working together will be beneficial for both sides. Especially in light of the news we've received about trouble brewing in the Outer Reaches."

"So Rolo was right," Pidge said quietly.

"His intel checks out. It's not the first I've heard of it and Kolivan has been keeping tabs on it for years. Nothing has happened yet, but we want to be prepared just in case," Shiro said.

"It's the Napamku Quadrant, isn't it? Lotor's territory," Allura said, her expression troubled. "Father's tried to put them at ease for years. Ever since we set up a small station in the area, but it's always been a touchy subject. Daibazaal was a little more aggressive in their pursuit of resources there in the past, which is why they're so wary. It's an uneasy truce. Most of the people there don't want us there, but it's not worth starting a war over. Or it hasn't been."

"Something must have changed recently," Shiro said.

Lance frowned. "If it's such an issue, why don't we leave them alone?"

Allura smiled sadly. "I'm afraid it's not that easy, Lance. Altea has two colonies in the area and we have open trade with several planets in that quadrant. The orbiting station we have is there to provide communication and it monitors Altean influence in the area. Daibazaal has the same." She sighed, looking glum to be speaking about it at all. "It's an uneasy peace, but a necessary one. I only wish we knew for certain what has changed."

"Hopefully Kolivan will know more soon," Shiro said. "In the meantime, we prepare."

* * *

The four Paladins walked down to the training room together the next morning after a quick breakfast. Allura had gone ahead of them to meet with Kolivan and assure him that they would be there just as soon as they finished putting on their armor.

In no time at all, they were assembled on the training deck, waiting to hear their instructions for the day.

Allura cleared her throat as she stepped forward. "Kolivan and I have decided that a demonstration of your skills is the first place to begin. From there, we will determine who will work together the best as we progress and what areas we need to strengthen."

"Does this mean I get to take the sniper box?" Lance asked eagerly, already summoning his bayard to his hand.

Allura nodded. "For now. I'd like Hunk to join you as well."

Hunk looked nervous by the request. "Are you sure about that? Should I stay here on the ground? I'm just not sure that-"

"Hunk," Allura interrupted. "We've run this a few times and it works well."

His shoulders slumped in defeat.

Pidge playfully pushed him and offered up a grin. "You'll do fine. But just so you know, if you shoot me, I'll have to officially disband Team Punk."

"Ha," Hunk laughed weakly. He looked a little less uneasy as he and Lance set off, so Pidge counted that as a win.

Kolivan wrapped up his instructions to his four chosen members of the Blade, all of whom wore masks to hide their identities, and they split off to different areas, with one of them taking the second sniper box. (Pidge was pretty sure it was Regris, since she hadn't seen anyone else with a tail like that.)

"Safety on! Training drill level two to eight!" Allura called out as she and Kolivan took up a position against the wall, where they would be able to easily observe.

There was a hum as the safety features kicked on It was a handy thing that enabled a thin barrier to cover each individual in the room, protecting them from serious harm. Any attack that hit them would produce an uncomfortable shock, enough to distract, but it was better than needing healing after every training session.

Two robots rose from the floor and flying orbs dropped from the ceiling. Pidge had enough time to call her transformed bayard to her hand before everything began to move.

The orbs circled around them, honing in on their positions before firing. Pidge and Shiro activated their shields as the members of the Blade of Marmora began to move, dodging away from the tiny blue lasers as if they'd been doing it all their lives. Another pair of robots rose from the floor as Shiro clashed with the one nearest to him. The tallest of the masked Galra (Pidge was almost certain it was Ulaz) parried with the other, constantly moving around it in search of weakness.

From his position over the deck, Lance was sniping the orbs with pinpoint accuracy, keeping track of each of them. The Galra opposite of them was doing the same with his blaster, but Hunk was hanging back, waiting for a better opportunity to use his machine gun.

Pidge slid under the third robot's staff, raising her shield in time to deflect it from smashing into her nose. She turned the moment she was behind it, not hesitating for a second as she shot her glowing blade into the weak point on its neck. She gave it a shock for good measure, waiting in satisfaction as it crumpled to the floor.

There was no time to revel in her small victory. The orbs picked her as a prime target, swarming her as she got to her feet. She trusted Lance to take care of them as she started towards the shortest masked Galra. There was another set of robots rising up to join the fray, and they were heading straight for him.

It wasn't until Pidge was next to him that she realized he was only a few inches taller than she was – definitely less than the standard foot-and-a-half that all of the others had on her.

 _'Keith?'_ she wondered.

She couldn't dwell on it for longer than that. She knocked away one strike with her shield, wincing at the way her left arm twinged at the action, and then jammed her weapon into the crook of its elbow, paralyzing one of its arms in revenge. The Galra swung as she moved away, taking off the robot's head in one clean slice.

The two stuck together as the fight progressed, moving as a fluid unit, always just where they needed to be. Any communication was brief and concise.

And then a mass of orbs poured from the walls. Pidge yanked her partner to the ground, holding her shield up over her head and activating its second form just before lasers rained down around them. A bubble covered them down to the floor, protecting them from harm.

On the other side of the room, Shiro was using his larger bubble shield to cover himself and the other two Galra.

It was Hunk's moment to shine! The sound of his machine gun filled the air as the bullets cut through the orbs and caused a chain explosion. Lance took the opportunity to take out the remaining robot with a bullet to the head, and then there was nothing.

Allura beamed as she called the drill to an end and while Pidge was still having trouble getting a good read on Kolivan, he didn't look displeased so she assumed they had done well.

She grinned as she looked up at the Galra next to her. She tugged off her helmet, well aware of the way her hair plastered itself to her forehead. "We make a pretty good team, huh?"

"I think you're right," he said with a chuckle. He reached up and pushed his hood head, releasing his mask at the same time.

Pidge's jaw nearly dropped when she found herself staring up at _Keithir_ and not Keith like she'd thought. Some of her surprise must have shown, because his fluffy ears twisted back with uncertainty.

"Sorry," she quickly apologized. "I just wasn't expecting – I mean, I know you mentioned training with the Blade of Marmora, but I guess I never put two and two together?"

Keithir opened his mouth to say something, but Kolivan picked that moment to call hem all to attention.

"A break for water and rest," he explained. "And then we go again with a new drill."

Pidge could hear Hunk's groan even with her ordinary human ears.

* * *

"For the record, I still think we make a good team," Pidge said as she walked over to stand next to him.

It had taken her a while to track him down after their lengthy training session, but at last she'd found him hiding out up in one of the towers that overlooked the gardens. Thace, who'd been one of the others in on their session, stood guard just outside of the door.

Keithir's ears twitched in her direction. "They crushed us in the third round," he mumbled.

"Okay, so that wasn't our shining moment," Pidge admitted. "But we did manage to knock Shiro down, so that's an accomplishment. Hunk, Lance, and I have wanted to do that for _years_ , we just have such different fighting styles that it hasn't been possible. I couldn't have done it without you."

"Your shield's handy. I've never come that close to disarming Thace," Keithir said.

Pidge couldn't help but preen at the compliment. "The smaller one was built into our armor when we got it, but Hunk and I worked together on the bubble and our disc shields. We've been trying to figure out a projectile version, but that's on the back burner for now."

Keithir turned to face her, looking impressed. "You were able to modify Altean tech without losing the integrity of the shield?"

"That was the tricky part," Pidge said. She began to delve into the process they'd undertaken – all of their failures and malfunctions, the surprise effects as they experimented – all of it, but stopped herself before she got too carried away. "Sorry. I know this isn't really that interesting."

"I might not understand everything that you're talking about, but that doesn't make it uninteresting," Keithir told her.

Pidge hesitated for a moment, unsure of whether he was saying that just to be nice or not. She wanted to believe that he was sincere. "Okay... so where was I?"

"Something about disco shields?"

"Right, so I go to test the next one and I hear Hunk laughing uncontrollably from his section of the lab..."

* * *

Allura stepped into Pidge's hangar and immediately crinkled her nose when she spotted Pidge bowed over her work table, still dressed in her armor from training, though pieces of it had been removed for better flexibility.

"You came down here without showering first, again," she said accusingly.

Pidge jumped at the sudden noise, turning her head so fast she nearly gave herself whiplash. She groaned in pain as the muscles in her neck protested the sudden movement after being still for so long.

"What's so important that it couldn't wait?" Allura asked as she walked over to join the youngest Paladin. She tilted her head when she saw what it was. "Shield tech?"

Pidge made a move as if to hide her work, but gave up part way. "It's a gift for Keithir. I've been trying to replicate some of what Hunk and I did for ours, but I can't seem to get it right. And if I ask Hunk for help, he'll want to know what it's for and then I'll have to explain the whole Galra courtship thing to him and then he'll accidentally – or on purpose, I'm never really sure – he'll let it slip to Lance what's going on and I just can't handle that right now!"

Allura dragged over a chair and sat down. "I know I'm not as good at this as Hunk, but can I help? I don't think this would be breaking any rules."

Pidge's shoulders relaxed as she considered that. "Okay, so my biggest issue is the color."

Whatever Allura was expecting, that clearly wasn't it. "The... color? What's wrong with the color?"

"Nothing's _wrong_ with it, exactly. It's just... it's a very Altean color. It's bright. And the Blade of Marmora uniforms are black and they stick more to stealthy things, so something not as bright would be better? Hunk and I got one to turn white on accident, so I wanted to replicate that and then go from there," Pidge explained.

"That was when you were amplifying the energy to support a larger shield, right?" Allura asked, just to double check she was on the right path. "You turned up the intensity, so instead of appearing blue, it burned white. Was it hot to the touch?"

Pidge nodded. "We shut it off because it was so bright. My skin turned pink where I got too close."

Allura hummed and pulled the device closer to her, easily cracking open the outer shell to reveal the power source inside – a small, pulsating blue crystal. "The problem is the crystal being used to power it. Because the technology is designed to manipulate and amplify the energy of the crystal, it's going to be blue no matter what you do. We usually don't use the purple ones because they give off a higher frequency and tend to be unstable, but maybe you'll find a way around it." She replace the cover and stood. "I will get you a few to experiment with on one condition."

"I go shower?" Pidge guessed.

"See, I always knew you were the smartest of the paladins," Allura joked.

Pidge laughed as she got up as well. She gathered up her pieces of armor and then she and Allura left the hangar.


	13. Chapter 13

Edit 5/29/18: Was going through and realized cut out my line breaks. So here I am. Putting them back.

Chapter 13

Keithir was all nerves as he paced back and forth in his room, occasionally throwing a glance at the tiny package laying on his bed. He'd wrapped it the moment he got his hands on it, knowing if he took the time to carefully inspect every last detail of it, he'd find an excuse not to give it to Katie and then he'd have to start the whole process all over again. He had enough to worry about.

What if she didn't understand the purpose of him giving her a gift? Did anyone think to explain Galra courtship to her? Would _he_ have to do it?

That last bit sounded like the worst idea he'd ever had.

Actually, scratch that. _Regris_ explaining it to her would be far worse. Keithir wouldn't put it past his friend to try and mess with him by giving her false information. It wouldn't be something awful or too far-fetched, and he'd likely apologize to her after the fact and direct her to Ulaz for the correct information, but it wouldn't erase the pure embarrassment he caused.

Keithir continued to pace.

Maybe it was still too soon. Sure, the plan was to announce their engagement at the end of three months, but they still had more time after that to continue courting each other, right?

The door opened and Thace peeked in. His expression went soft when he saw the state his prince was in. "We should leave now if you wish to be on time for dinner with Lady Katherine."

Keithir moved on autopilot, ready to follow his mentor, but Thace stopped him with a chuckle and an outstretched arm, directing his attention back to the gift. Keithir's face darkened to a deeper shade of purple as he hurriedly snatched up the package and stuffed it into his pocket.

"It will be fine, Keithir," Thace said.

"Easy for you to say. You and Ulaz courted for three years, not three months. You had time," Keithir grumbled bitterly.

"Trust me, that doesn't make it any easier," Thace said, taking no offense. He led the way from their shared quarters, keeping Keithir within sight at all times. "Do not forget, she is just as nervous about this as you are."

Logically, Keith knew that. He saw it in the way she kept things bottled up when she was with him, frequently interrupting her own rambling to apologize for it. He saw it in the way she maintained a respectful distance between them.

And he was much the same. Holding his tongue when he wanted nothing more than to rant about something, knowing his temper was something that put off most people. Holding himself back from over-stepping the invisible boundary between them, fighting the impulse to reach for her hand when they walked together.

It was different when he was just "Keith".

That boundary wasn't there. He felt like he could just be himself; no walls, no cautiously tiptoeing around topics. He would have called it freeing, but it was tempered by his overwhelming guilt of hiding who he was. He wanted so badly to tell her – he'd come close on multiple occasions, but each time the thought of losing those relaxed moments when they were both free of responsibility was enough to keep him from saying anything.

"I don't want to mess this up," Keithir said out loud without realizing it.

Thace's gaze turned contemplative as his prince walked in front of him. So many times he'd heard "I _can't_ mess this up." To hear "I don't _want_ to mess this up" was something unusual. Something interesting.

Neither of them talked the rest of the way and when they reached the dining room, Thace opened the door for Keithir and did his usual check before he allowed him through.

"Do you really think I can do this?" Keithir quietly asked.

"I have the utmost faith in you."

Keithir's shoulders relaxed at those words. Just the knowledge that Thace believed in him was enough to drive him forward with a little more confidence than when he left his room. "Good evening, Katie."

Thace hid a smile as he shut the door and stood guard outside, giving them the solitude they deserved.

Inside, Keithir barely remembered to wait for Katie to take a seat before him. By the looks of the food spread out on the table, Hunk had once again put his culinary skills to good use and had prepared a meal for them. His stomach gurgled in interest.

"How's your work on Rover coming along?" he asked as they began helping themselves to food.

"More slowly than I thought," Katie admitted, easily falling into their usual routine. "On the one hand, he's not running into anyone anymore and the last time I turned him loose around Hunk he didn't chase him around the hangar, so there's a little progress. The only problem is that now Rover flies into the air over my head and spins in circles."

Keithir tried not to laugh at the mental image that produced.

"Yesterday, I had to go get Shiro, since he's the tallest and can reach it," Katie told him, pausing to take a nibble of food. "After that I set Rover aside for a little while to work on something else. Allura gave me some energy crystals to work with and, um..." she paused and shook her head, as if to clear her thoughts. "It's just more stuff to experiment with. And, um, I used one of them to make a gift for you."

Well, at least he wouldn't have to bumble his way through an explanation on Galra courtship.

"I have a gift for you too," he said, absent-mindedly reaching into his pocket to feel the small package. "Do you want to exchange them now or wait until we've eaten."

A tiny laugh bubbled past Katie's lips as she set a box covered in green paper on the table. "As hungry as I am, I don't think I can eat anything right now."

Keithir let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding as he also put his present for her on the table. "Me too," he admitted.

Part of him wanted to elaborate on the emphasized importance of the gift-giving part of courtship – how most couples spent weeks or months planning and preparing – but they didn't have that luxury. And why make her stress about it more?

They quietly made the exchange, but before Keithir could ask who would go first, Katie was already peeling away the wrapping, unveiling what was hidden inside.

He heard her sharp intake of breath as she lifted a silver chain, on the end of which was a purple flower suspended within a clear orb.

"It's beautiful," she said softly.

"We call it the Marmora Blossom. It's a symbol of protection. Legend says that it was found on the largest remnant of Marmora after it was destroyed. The first members of the Blade of Marmora cultivated it, hoping to keep that last part of their home alive. And the succeeded," Keithir recited. He paused, hoping he could get his next few words out without stumbling over them. "It's tradition to give it to the one you love as a promise to keep them safe."

Katie's face went red as she processed that information. Just enough time passed in silence that Keithir wondered if he'd crossed that invisible line, but then she carefully pulled the chain over her head, letting the blossom settle against her chest. "Thank you, Keithir. You should open yours now."

Pleased that his gift to her had gone better than he'd expected, Keithir turned his attention to the green box in front of him. He untied the bow and lifted the lid. Resting inside was a smooth, black diamond-shaped object with rounded edges.

Keithir removed it from the box, carefully cradling it in the palm of his hand. Whatever it was, it was lightweight and had a band attached to the underside.

"You slide it on your wrist so that it's on top. I made it with your uniform in mind, so I hope it fits well with it," Katie said, worrying her lower lip. "It's a shield. Kind of like the one I use."

 _A promise of protection_.

Keithir slid the device onto his right wrest, flexing and rotating it to test the fit as he stood up and moved back from the table. His heart picked up speed as he considered the odds that they'd picked the same theme for their first gift.

"There's a sensor in the band. Right now it's programmed to activate with a double tap, but I can change that to whatever you'd like," Katie offered.

Keithir's face lit up in delight as he activated it for the first time. It wasn't blue, as he'd expected, and instead it was an opaque purple which hummed with energy. "Katie, this is incredible."

She still looked nervous as though she expected him to change his mind. "I couldn't get it to do much more than that. It's just a basic shield," she said, sounding apologetic.

Keithir double tapped the band to deactivate it. "This is more than enough. I think now we stand a chance at taking down Shiro _and_ Thace."

The thought at least got Katie to smile and let go of some of her apprehension. "Well, they won't be expecting you to also have a shield, that's for sure. It could be enough to take them by surprise but we'd have to time it right."

"I won't say a word about it if you don't," he said as he sat back down. "I think I'm starting to look forward to our next training session."

Firmly back on the neutral topic of their shared training, the rest of their meal passed with no incidents and both of them were finally able to enjoy their food.

* * *

"There are a few things we need to discuss about the wedding."

Pidge wanted to groan at those words. Her day had been going so well up until Allura cornered her and whisked her away for an overdue discussion. To add to her misery, someone decided it would be best to pull Keithir in as well.

Allura had commandeered one of the unused rooms for their talk and she, Shiro, and Thace stood in front of Pidge and Keithir as though they were teachers preparing to give a lecture.

"At the moment, the current debate is where to hold the ceremony – Daibazaal or Altea. Both sides have good arguments for it, so it has come to an impasse. Do either of you have a preference?" Thace asked.

Keithir shook his head.

Pidge, however, had a thought. It could be tricky, but it was also the best way to make both sides happy. She furrowed her brow, leaning forward to rest her elbows on the table. "The Castle of Lions is also a ship, right? So why not land it on Daibazaal for the wedding?"

Allura beamed. "An excellent idea, Pidge! I can't believe I didn't think of that sooner...!"

"We'll suggest it at the next meeting," Shiro said, trying to keep her on track. "Our next matter is whether or not you'll be writing your own vows. It's an Earth tradition that I recommended, but it's up to the two of you."

"I'd like to," Keithir spoke up.

The thought of writing anything like that made her stomach twist up into a ball of knots, but something drove Pidge to nod in agreement anyway. It would undoubtedly be awkward, given her difficulty to express herself on a normal day, but maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

Allura delved into the topic of colors and flowers next, informing them that the choice had already been made for them – one less thing to worry about. Then it was on to the catering options. The plan was a banquet-style meal for the reception, with popular entrees an desserts from the six original allies of the Voltron, as well as Hunk's twist on Earth meals using alien foods.

Pidge had to admit, hearing Hunk's name tossed into the mix made her feel a little more comfortable. At least that way she was guaranteed to find something she'd like.

Naturally, that then led to a serious conversation about cake flavors.

"Galra have wedding cakes too?" Pidge asked.

"It is not something that it a part of our traditions," Thace responded. "Prince Keithir has requested that we include Earth customs wherever we can."

Pidge felt a rush of gratitude towards Keithir, a little stunned that he'd personally made the request. It wasn't something she'd put any thought into, too afraid of crossing some invisible line by asking that merge some of Earth's traditions with the Galra ones.

She tried to catch his eye and thank him, but was unsuccessful. Not deterred by that, she tried something else. "Maybe we could taste-test a few before we decide. That way we can find something we both like."

"I'll be happy to get that set up for you, whenever you're ready to do so," Allura offered.

After that was more light-hearted talk of how many guests they would expect to see and the basic details on how the broadcast of their wedding would be handled, and then Allura cleared her throat, looking more serious than she had the entire time they'd been in the room.

"There is one matter matter I've been asked to bring up," she told them, looking uncomfortable. "It's something the Altean advisers continue to press me on, but it's not an easy topic to bring up. So I will ask, just this once, and your decision is what I will fight to get them to understand." She paused, letting a heavy silence settle over them. "On the subject of children, the advisers want to impose a ten-year deadline."

Thace looked startled by the news.

"No," Keithir refused, point-blank. His tone left no room for argument. "Children were not part of the arrangement. Whether or not we have any – and when – is up to us and no one else."

"I understand, but-"

"We say no, Allura," Pidge cut in, hoping she didn't sound too harsh. Allura was only the messenger.

It seemed there were many things she had neglected to think about in regards to their wedding, mostly because she hadn't wanted to think about it. She honestly had no idea how to react to the idea of having children one day, though the thought of being forced into parenthood was enough to spark her temper.

One thing she knew, and that was that Keithir was right. Such a thing was for them to decide. That aspect of their union wasn't for the council or advisers to decide.

"We'll find a way to convince them," Shiro promised. "I think this is enough for one day. Thace, is there anything we've forgotten?"

Thace shook his head. "That covers everything for now. Though Empress Honerva has expressed interest in how your design for your wedding gown is coming along, Lady Katherine."

She should have known that would come up at some point. She'd been so busy with other projects, a part of her determined to ignore that "little" detail.

"I've picked a seamstress?" she offered up.

Thace's lips twitched in a way that belied his attempt at hiding a smile. "She will be pleased to hear that."

Pidge tried not to look too relieved as they were finally dismissed and she was able to flee the room without a backward glance.

* * *

As he tended to do when he was feeling stressed or under pressure, Keith shifted to his human form and sneaked down to the training deck to try and work out some of his frustration on his own. A few rounds with those Altean robots would do him some good.

It was just his luck that the room was already occupied when he arrived.

The Blue Paladin was there, awkwardly gripping an Altean broadsword, trying his best to slice though the orbs flying around him. With a growl of frustration, the paladin called the simulation to an end and spun on his heel, only to freeze in place when he saw Keith standing at the door.

"How did you get in here?" Lance bit out.

"All members of the Blade have a key," Keith said, holding up the card he'd been given as proof.

"Oh," he muttered, some of his anger deflating. "You're Keith, right? I'm Lance."

"Yeah, I remember," Keith replied. He hesitated for a moment, wondering what he should do next. Lance clearly wanted the space to himself, just like he did. And as much as he wanted the work-out, Lance was there first. He should go.

"Well, the room's all yours. I'm done here," Lance said, staring glumly at his bayard, which was still in the form of a sword. "I should have known better than to think I could do this..." he added on, so quietly that Keith could barely make out the words with his heightened hearing.

Maybe there was a way for them to share the space.

"I thought you only used guns," Keith said, understandably curious about the change.

Lance shrugged. "Usually. This one's new. It just... _happened_. Allura's been saying I should practice with it more and she's been trying to help, but I'm no good at it. I'm better sticking to my sharpshooting."

"Maybe. Or maybe Allura's right and you just need more practice," Keith said bluntly. He unsheathed his own blade, letting it transform into a curved sword before Lance could see it in its dagger form.

Lance studied him with a frown before sighing. "Fine. But you're going to be disappointed."

"Everyone has to start somewhere," Keith said as he joined Lance in the center of the room. He winced at his own words – words that Thace had thrown at him during most of his childhood right before trying to teach him something new and unfamiliar.

He might as well get use to it. He imagined he'd be repeating a lot of Thace's sayings during the impromptu training lesson with Lance.

"Lets get started."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

There were alarms blaring in the castle.

Keithir rolled out of bed and onto his feet, sliding his dagger out from beneath his pillow in the process. He strode forward, nearly smacking into his bedroom door before it had the chance to open. "Thace!" he shouted into the next room.

"It's the castle's alarm system. Something has happened," Thace said tersely. He stood across from Keithir near the bedroom he shared with Ulaz, staring down at a tablet in his hands. "Kolivan's orders are to dress and meet him on the bridge."

Keithir gave one short nod, turning back to change into his uniform. The alarm quieted after a few minutes, lowering in volume before shutting off completely as Keithir joined Thace and Ulaz and they set off for the rendezvous point.

Thace led the way to the tallest point of the castle, keeping to one side as the castle staff frantically walked the halls, some with a sense of purpose and others bustling about their small children, reminding them to keep their voices down as some of them wailed about leaving behind a favorite toy. Keithir personally witnessed one father scoop up his daughter in his arms, press a kiss to his wife's cheek, and then race off down the hall with his giggling child to retrieve the toy in question. The wife tutted with a fond smile and took their son by the hand, reminding him they'd meet up outside before they hurried on their way.

Keithir quickened his pace to walk alongside Thace. "What's going on? Why is everyone leaving?"

"Standard evacuation for a ship of this nature, I imagine." The response came not from Thace, but from Ulaz, who watched the proceedings with interest. "Whatever has happened, it's enough to warren take-off from the Castle of Lions. Only those with the proper clearance will stay on board."

Keithir gaped at him for a moment. "The castle is a ship?!"

"Compose yourself, my prince," Thace calmly reminded him.

Keithir slowed up and went silent, his ears flicking back in discomfit.

"It was constructed six-hundred years ago when the Black Lion was rediscovered by a team of Altean alchemists," Ulaz explained. "They knew its paladin would one day need a base capable of traveling long-distance and wanted a safe place to keep the Lion until they could be found. Four other hangars were built in the hope they would one day house the other Lions."

"That's a lot of hope put into finding one Lion."

"That hope is the reason the paladins are so well respected. The Lions would not pick a pilot they found unworthy of carrying such a burden," Ulaz said.

Keithir thought of Shiro, who reached out to him and welcomes him warmly. Of Hunk, who seemed wary of him but happy to lend a hand when it was needed. Of Lance, who could be a little abrasive with his cockiness, but was also willing to put aside his pride when he needed to. Of Katie, with her quick wit and determination to do the right thing. The way her eyes lit up when it came to technology. That little quirk to her lips when he said something she found humorous.

Wait, that wasn't...

He frowned, dropping his gaze to the floor.

"We are here," Thace announced.

The door slid open before them. Kolivan was already there, looking more serious than Keithir had ever seen him. He was quietly speaking with Shiro and Princess Allura at the front. The rest of the paladins were there as well, seated at their stations in full armor, trying to keep busy as they waited for instructions.

Katie looked back when the door opened, giving him a tiny smile before getting back to her work.

"There has been an attack," Kolivan informed them as they approached.

Allura's hand trembled as she pulled up a video feed of an Altean communication satellite under clear duress. A weak particle barrier surrounded it in an attempt to keep it from further harm, but as they watched it was very clear from the debris floating around it that the power wouldn't hold for long.

"We received the call half a varga ago. All power has been diverted to sustain the particle barrier, including... including life support. There are no survivors and currently no clues as to who the assailants are." Allura paused to take a breath. "We will be launching the moment the civilians are clear of the Castle of Lions. If you wish to leave with them, Prince Keithir, you are welcome to stay with mother and father at the main castle."

"I may be a prince, but I'm also a member of the Blade of Marmora. I'm going with you," Keithir said, not waiting for Kolivan's approval.

Thace rested a hand on Keithir's shoulder, offering his silent support. "What is our heading, Princess?"

"The Napamku Quadrant, near Nyrydya," Allura responded. "They are one of the few people in the area who will welcome both the Galra and Alteans. We've already sent a request to Queen Toryné asking for permission to land on her planet and she has been kind enough to grant it."

"The attack on the satellite has them just as worried as we are. If it goes down, that's an entire sector without the ability to communicate beyond their own planets. It's imperative that we find out who did this and stop them from causing any more harm," Shiro said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Pidge, any luck accessing that security feed?"

She shook her head, her fingers flying over the holographic keyboard. "Nothing from here so far. It would be a lot easier if I was actually there and not trying to transfer data from so far. We're either really lucky the transmission reached us with the station so damaged, or someone _wanted_ us to get it."

Keithir guessed that "someone" wasn't someone actually meant to be on the satellite, but whoever orchestrated the attack.

"But why would they want us to find out?" Lance asked.

"It could be a trap," Ulaz suggested.

Allura frowned as she turned away from them. "We will proceed with caution. Trap or not, this is not something we can ignore."

"Then we leave on your command, Princess Allura," Kolivan said.

* * *

It was an event they had trained for, but that didn't stop Shiro from worrying as they set down on Nyrydya and prepared to disembark. He, Allura, and Kolivan would be meeting with the Nyrydyan queen to thank her for her hospitality. Meanwhile, the rest of the Blade of Mamora, along with Pidge, Hunk, and Lance, were to take a shuttle up to the satellite and begin assessing the damage.

Until that day, all they'd ever been called upon for was to assist with a planetary evacuation due to the natural shedding of the outer crust of the planet or lengthy escort missions through dangerous parts of space or that one time Coran set up what they thought was just a standard training exercise but turned into some crazy quest that ended with them fighting a world-destroying beast.

Shiro didn't doubt they were capable of handling whatever was happening in Napamku, but he couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to the attack than what they thought. Something about the situation just felt... _wrong._ There was every chance that Ulaz was right and they were walking right into a trap, but whose trap was it?

Queen Toryné seemed an unlikely culprit, given Nyrydya's peaceful history with Altea and Daibazaal. They were a race who deeply appreciated peace and tranquility and to even consider that they would attack without provocation was a grave insult to them.

There were other nearby planets and moons to consider. Netka, a planet of vast stretches of desert which was only broken by deep gorges and jutting mountains, whose people had not taken kindly to Daibazaal's attempts to create a settlement there. The Rujanvymir's were quite outspoken about any foreign satellites in the area. And then there was Taabaher, which was home to a people who prided themselves as great warriors, but they had formed a tenative peace with Daibazaal and flat-out ignored the Alteans as long as they stayed away.

Shiro couldn't help but consider a more recent problem. One which was steadily growing to become the source of all his frustration.

 _Lotor._

He didn't want to believe that the Galra prince would outright attack an Altean communication satellite. To do so would be akin to declaring war! And surely that wouldn't fit in with the prince's desire to win Allura's heart.

Shiro scowled. He would _never_ let that happen.

A feather-light touch settled on his hand, barely registering through his gloves. He looked to Allura, who kept her gaze straight ahead and acted as though she was doing nothing out of the ordinary.

The reminder of her presence next to him was enough to calm him and help him focus on the task at hand. First, he had to thank Queen Toryné for her hospitality. _Then_ he would worry about all of the different possibilities surrounding the attack.

* * *

Pidge frowned as she played the footage again and again, viewing it from as many angles as she could. She couldn't put her finger on it, but _something_ wasn't adding up. If only she still had Hunk with her, but she'd shooed her friends off ages ago so she could try and make some repairs without him hovering over her and making concerned sounds whenever she touched something. He'd taken Lance with them, leaving her utterly alone.

Pidge sighed, slumping back and shutting her eyes, already feeling the exhaustion settling in.

"Taking a break already?"

Pidge shrieked in surprise, clapping a hand over her mouth to stifle the sound. She spun her chair around to face the one who interrupted her, ready to tell them off for sneaking up on her, but all of her fight died when she found Keith standing there.

She cocked her head in curiosity. "Shouldn't you be with Keithir?"

"Huh? Oh, uh, no. No, he's fine," Keith said as he walked into the room. "Should you really be alone here?"

Pidge hummed noncommittally as she turned back to the security feeds. "Well, I'm not alone anymore. Come help me with this."

"How many times have you watched these?" Keith asked.

"Apparently not enough," Pidge muttered. "I've tried everything I can think of, but this is all I could salvage. Just these few minutes of video. It's like... it's like someone deliberately went through and wiped it all clean, but left this behind, which makes _no_ sense. Why leave anything? Why take that risk?"

Keith frowned as he focused on the screens in front of them. "Maybe they were going to do more, but ran out of time?"

"Time..." Pidge narrowed her eyes and leaned forward, rapidly flipping through the cameras in search of something.

Keith watched her with a growing sense of confusion. "Uh, Katie?"

"There's no time."

The cryptic statements were _not_ helping. Keith had no idea what she was trying to accomplish or how he was supposed to help her. What exactly did she mean "there's no time"? They had plenty of time. Days of it, as long as they made progress.

"Maybe it's time for you to take a break. Rest your eyes? Drink some water?" Keith wondered what it would take to get her to at least blink.

Pidge finally tore her gaze away. "Keith, there's _no time._ On the feeds. They're supposed to keep a record of the date and time, but there's nothing! Look at the bottom of the screen! Doesn't it look like it got cut off?"

"Oh," Keith breathed, his eyes widening as he took a second look. "I think you're right. But how did they get on board and do all of this before we arrived?"

Pidge's expression was grim. "I think... and this is just a hypothetical situation, but what if someone got on board and delayed the alarm from being triggered and edited the security feeds while they were here? That would have given them enough time to do all of this and get away without us seeing them." She banged her fists on the desk in frustration. "I thought I could find something here, but if they really wiped the memory..."

"Maybe we can't find out what we need here, but I know something else we could try," Keith said, already forming a plan. It could be dangerous an there was no way Kolivan would ever approve of what he was about to suggest. Even Thace wouldn't be able to get him out of trouble if they got caught, but it was a risk worth taking, in his opinion.

He held out a hand to help her up, thoroughly ignoring the way his heart fluttered when she took it.

"Why do I get the feeling that Shiro's going to be really disappointed in us after this?" Pidge asked with a teasing smile. "What's the plan?"

"There's a Galra fueling station in orbit around one of Taabaher's furthest moons. We're going to sneak on board and see if they've picked up on any strange activity in the area," Keith told her. "But first, you'll need a change of clothes."

* * *

Hunk wiped the sweat from his brow as he carefully closed the hatch and stood up. "That should hold until the actual repair crew can get here."

Lance eagerly dropped out of his yoga pose. "Does that mean you're done? Can we go get Pidge and get out of this creepy place?"

"Yeah, just let me..." Hunk hit a few keys on a nearby console to get it to reboot. He grinned when the panels lit up with a familiar blue light, letting him know that the satellite itself was back up and running smoothly, letting communications resume. "Alright, _now_ we can go get Pidge."

"Finally! This place gives me the heebie jeebies. Like, I get that it's import for us to come up here and look into it, but I'll be happy if I never have to come back," Lance said, leading the way out the door.

Hunk followed him with an amused expression.

They back-tracked their way through the halls, passing by only one member of the Blade along the way. It didn't take them long to reach the security room where they had left Pidge to work her magic, but instead of seeing their small friend there, they found Shiro, Allura, and Kolivan.

"Uh, where's Pidge? Did she head back to the Castle without us?" Lance asked.

"We thought she was with you!" Allura said, turning to Shiro in alarm. "Where could they have gone?"

"They?" Hunk asked, an uneasy feeling curdling in his stomach.

Kolivan crossed his arms over his chest. "Prince Keithir is missing as well."

Dread settled in Lance's chest. His mind raced with the implications of what that might mean, ranging from the lewd (his usual go-to) to something more serious. Like a kidnapping. Though on second thought the lack of obvious struggle made that theory unlikely. Pidge would _absolutely_ leave some kind of clue behind and Keithir was skilled enough that he wouldn't have gone down without a fight.

"Maybe she found something and they both went back to the Castle?" Hunk asked hopefully.

"Except we just came from the Castle and we didn't see either of them or the shuttle they were using," Allura said.

"Don't those shuttles have tracking? Can't we, I dunno, use that to find out where they're at?" Lance asked.

Shiro shook his head. "We thought of that, but one of them must have disabled it. At the moment, we have no way of knowing where they are and Pidge isn't responding to my attempts to contact her."

"Then they've gone dark," Kolivan said, sounding calm despite the situation. "We have no choice but to wait until their return."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

It felt strange to put on different armor and not only because it was slightly too big for her. (A fact that had Keith trying not to laugh when he first saw her in it.) She kept looking down, expecting to see familiar white and green, which made the all black a little jarring.

"Relax," Keith said as he eased their borrowed ship into the docking area of the refueling station. The small craft would barely register to the station's sensors and was unlikely to attract any unwanted attention. "Just follow my lead. We'll be in and out without anyone knowing we were here."

The ship shuddered as it set down and Keith shut it off with a few practiced movements. He led the way off of the ship, pausing to check for any guards before disembarking.

"Mask on," he reminded her, activating his own.

Pidge triggered hers, just as he had shown her before they left, and then they were on their way, quietly traversing the empty passageways and cautiously peering around corners. Above all else, they could _not_ get caught. It would mean trouble if they were spotting or if someone even suspected there was something amiss.

She followed him through the halls, marveling at how well he knew the layout of the station. She wondered if Kolivan had the Blade run simulations set up like various stations or ships as part of their training, just as Allura had done for the paladins. (Actually, it had been a while since their last one. They were probably overdue for another one.)

They communicated solely with hand gestures and head nods, neither daring to speak until they were safely in one of the sub-security rooms with the door firmly shut behind them.

"We'll have to do this quickly," Keith said as he accessed one system monitors. "Those gloves will let you use Galra tech. Find what you need while I try and keep the sentries from finding us. Their automated patrols have them check in on all security spaces twice a varga, but I should be able to keep them away for a while, depending on where they are in their patrol."

Pidge got right into it. Later on, once they weren't secretly aboard a Galra station, she'd be able to ask more about the uniform's capabilities. Maybe she could program something similar for the paladins. (Or would that be crossing a line?) No, for the moment she needed to focus. With luck, she'd be able to access the cameras on the outside of the station and find the footage she needed in the time they had left.

"How long do we have?" Pidge asked.

"Fifteen doboshes, at least," Keith murmured.

That wasn't enough time. Not to find and make a copy of what she was looking for. _If_ there was anything to find.

Minutes passed quickly as she frantically searched, her fingers flying over the keys. She could hear Keith mumbling to himself as he rerouted sentries and drones to avoid their location.

Ten doboshes left.

Pidge found the feeds she was looking for and rewound to the time period they needed, fast-forwarding through them and unblinkingly watching the screen in front of her.

Five doboshes to go.

Someone was bound to get suspicious about the delayed patrols, but she was _so close_. She could feel it.

Four.

A burst of color flashed across the screen, captured three vargas before the alarm sounded. She latched onto that, praying it was what they were there for.

Rewind.

Slow down.

Replay.

A ship in blue and orange moved across the screen, flying in the exact direction of the Altean communication satellite. She paused the video, her heart pounding so hard she could hear it in her ears.

"Keith, look!"

He turned his head in her direction and froze. "That's Lotor's ship!"

Pidge wondered if she should be more surprised by that. Instead, all she felt was confusion. "But why would be attack an Altean satellite when he's so determined to marry Allura? It doesn't make sense!"

"I don't know either," Keith said.

Around them, the lights flickered red as an intruder alert sounded, locking them out of the system. The pair fled the room without a single word, automatically racing for the dock where they'd left their ship. As before, Keith took the lead.

They careened around a corner and found themselves face-to-face with one of the automated sentries.

"Halt and state your identification!"

Keith rammed into it with his shoulder, refusing to slow down and risk them getting caught. The robot crashed against the wall, barely damaged and momentarily stunned. "Keep going!" he shouted at Pidge.

She hardly needed to be told. The whole point of sneaking aboard had been to _avoid_ getting spotted and yet there they were, fleeing to avoid being apprehended.

Shiro was not going to be happy with her once they got back.

They had no more opposition until they reached the dock, where they were greeted by three sentries and a guard.

"Get to the ship! I'll hold them off!"

"Are you crazy?! I'm _not_ leaving you!" Pidge snapped.

"One of us has to get back to the others and tell them what we found," Keith reminded her as he drew his blade. "I'll try to catch up, but neither of us will get to the shuttle with the guards here. Now go!"

Pidge wanted to growl, to argue with him until she was out of breath, and then drag him along with her for being so _foolish._ She was not going to leave him there. It went against everything she stood for as a paladin – as a person. So she would go along with some of what he was telling her to do, but there was _no way_ she was going to leave him.

"Fine!" she shouted, running for the ship and leaving him to provide a good distraction. She could hear the guard's alarmed shouts as Keith began his assault, but ignored that as she hopped into their ship and made for the cockpit. She quickly set up the autopilot to take them back to the Castle of Lions and knew it was working by the hum of the ship as the prepared for take-off.

Pidge darted back to the door, more glad than ever that her paranoia meant she'd brought her bayard with her. "It's time to go!"

Keith kicked away a sentry and blocked a strike from the guard. "Just leave without me!"

Pidge rolled her eyes, took aim, and fired her bayard, watching in satisfaction as it wrapped around his middle and caught firmly. She had a split second to enjoy the startled squeak he let out before she braced herself against the frame of the door and yanked back, retracting the rope at the same time.

Keith flew towards her and Pidge realized a little too late that his trajectory had him landing directly on top of her. Luckily, he had to foresight to let go of his knife before then, letting it clatter harmlessly across the floor of the shuttle as the door shut and their ship took off.

Pidge shut her eyes, bracing herself for his full weight on top of her as they hit the ground, but it never came. His mask must have fallen away as they collided, because when she opened her eyes, she found Keith's face mere inches from her own, close enough that she could see the flecks of blue in his wide violet eyes. His arms were taut on either side of her as he held himself up from crushing her.

Pidge cleared her throat when he didn't move. "Uh, Keith?"

A definite red hue covered Keith's face as he realized the position they were in. He quickly sat up and backed away, avoiding looking in her direction for a few solid minutes.

Pidge brushed it off as embarrassment over being so easily yanked out of his fight. She got up and deactivated her own mask as she made her way back to the cockpit and sat down. Her eyes were drawn to a blinking light on the dashboard - a reminder that they'd shut off not only the ship's tracking, but all communications as well.

Pidge hesitated and then opened the frequency.

The radio crackled for a moment and then Shiro's voice came through, mildly panicked. "Pidge, is that you? Can you hear me?"

"I hear you, Shiro," she responded. "Is everything alright?"

"Alright? _Alright?!"_

Oh boy, Lance was there too. Pidge winced as her friend's voice made the speakers squeal.

"You sneak off, turn off your tracking, and you're going to ask – _ow_ , Hunk! Cut it out! I'm trying to talk to Pidge!"

"I don't think yelling at her is going to help anything," Hunk said, his voice muffled.

"Can we please not do this right now?" Allura's voice came through next. "Pidge, are you and Prince Keithir on your way back?"

Behind Pidge, Keith went very still.

Pidge frowned. "I've got Keith with me, not Keithir. Wait, he's not missing too, is he?" she asked, a whole new worry coming to the surface.

What if Lotor's plan had been to get them away from Altea so he'd have better access to Keithir? What if the attack on the satellite was just a distraction? Maybe the cameras had been tampered with to make sure they'd go off on some wild goose chase? What if –

"No, Keithir is fine," Shiro said. "She just misspoke. We'll meet you both back at the Castle."

"But Shi-!"

The message cut out before Allura could continue, leaving Pidge and Keith in silence.

* * *

Grounded.

He was grounded from further investigation. It didn't matter that they'd found the probably answer to the attack, he and Katie had jeopardized the entire mission when they were spotted on the fueling station. If Lotor found out they suspected him, he would ensure there was no way his treachery would be discovered.

If there was only one thing Keithir was absolutely sure of when it came to his brother, it was that there was no cost too great when it came to attaining his goal.

Keithir wanted to scream.

He wanted to punch something. To let loose for once with no one around to tell him to calm down or to remind him of his princely responsibilities.

Kolivan _knew_ how important stopping Lotor was to him. All of the Blade did!

It was the worst punishment Kolivan could have come up with.

Pidge was grounded from the mission as well. The sheer disappointment on Shiro's face when he took her aside to quietly talk told Keithir all he needed to know. (He could have lived without knowing the feeling of disappointing Shiro. It made him feel even more awful than he expected it would.)

Everyone else was back on the satellite for a second day, leaving Keithir to wander the Castle of Lions in pursuit of something to do. As further punishment, Thace had taken his key card for the training deck, leaving him with little else.

"Ah, Prince Keithir, there you are!"

Keithir's ears twitched in the direction of the voice and he stopped and looked back to see King Alfor's personal adviser, Coran, walking toward him with Katie by his side. Coran looked nothing short of pleased to see him.

"I heard the two of you were removed from the investigation, so I thought you would mind lending me a hand instead! Of course, if there's something more important you need to do, I completely understand," Coran said.

"Just so you know, I haven't found anything he would consider 'something more important to do'," Katie informed him.

Coran made a tutting sound. "Well that's because you can tinker anytime. Getting outside will do you some good. So what do you say, Prince Keithir? Care to join us?"

"What do you need help with?" Keithir asked, not wanting to agree to anything without knowing what he was getting himself into. Years of friendship with Regris had taught him that was never a good idea.

"An excellent question! We're off to the open market on the third moon of Nyrydya! You see, Queen Alanna is quite fond of the dyangan fruit that is native there, so King Alfor has tasked me with retrieving some for her," Coran explained.

A venture outside, even if it was for shopping, sounded better than anything he had available in the Castle. Besides, maybe he would be able to find something about Lotor or his ship while they were there. There were few better places to gather intelligence.

"I'd love to join you," Keithir said.

Katie raised an eyebrow, looking at him with pure bewilderment, unable to understand why he would willingly agree to a trip out with them. Coran, on the other hand, looked delighted.

Keithir hoped it wouldn't be a decision he'd come to regret.

* * *

The open market was a colorful, bustling place filled with people from all over and the heavy aroma of delicious food. Coran kept Keithir and Katie within sight at first, but soon left them alone to wander freely around the market, trusting them to stay out of trouble. The pair stuck together as they checked out what the vendors' had for sale.

"So what's the real reason you came with us?" Katie asked as she browsed through a selection of gorgeous scarves. She lingered on one made of a silk-like pink material, which delicately flowed over her hands when she picked it up for closer inspection.

"Intel," Keithir said truthfully, keeping his voice low. "Someone here could have seen Lotor or his ship in the area. Maybe they'll know a little bit more than us."

"It is possible... If there's anyone here who's heard anything, it would be one of the Unalu. There's usually one or two of them around a place like this," Katie said. She smiled at the vendor and held up the pink scarf, quickly striking up a good bargain with him. It was soon wrapped and she happily deposited it in her bag. "It's for Allura. While I'm here, I want to pick up gifts for everyone," she explained without prompting.

Keithir followed her to the next stall, his mind still on his determination to hunt for answers. "The Unalu are difficult to deal with. They would be just as likely to sell me out as they would be to tell me what I need to know."

"You may have a point..." Katie admitted.

The next stall they stopped at had an array of small, bejeweled daggers. A set glittering with green crystals caught Katie's eye and she took a moment to look at them before turning away, murmuring something inaudible to herself.

As she moved on, Keithir examined them for himself, taking note of the craftsmanship and mentally debated whether they were actually worth the price. Feeling someone's eyes on him, he glanced back at Katie, who was distracted by a collection of floating orbs which glinted in the light of the system's two dwarf suns. Keithir frowned, unable to shake the feeling of being watched, but pushed it aside for the moment.

He joined her a few minutes later, carefully hiding his purchase so she wouldn't see. Katie was wrapping up negotiations of her own with a smile on her face.

"That's two more down!" she told him, patting her bag. She looked around to make sure Coran was still nearby and spotted him talking to one of the elders as she loaded up a basket with fruit. "We probably don't have much more time. Coran will want to get those back to the Castle as soon as he can."

"Who else are you shopping for? Maybe I can help," Keithir offered. The fur on the back of his neck raised as the feeling of being watched intensified. His ears twitched, trying to pick out any unusual sounds as he scanned the marketplace for the source of his unease.

His heart sank when he found it.

Regris, leaning casually against a pillar, eating some sort of meat on a stick and staring directly at him.

So much for his plan to gather intel while he was there. He wouldn't get away with anything while his fellow Blade was right there to report back to Kolivan.

"If you really want to ask anyone about that ship, we should prioritize that instead. It's more important than my shopping," Katie said. "There has to be an Unalu around here who we can talk to."

If Regris weren't there, Keithir would have been tempted to go along with her idea. It didn't matter that he couldn't handle dealings with the Unalu. It wasn't a moral thing, but more of a matter of just how bad he was at keeping his personal feelings in check. Thace had tried to teach him how to better mask himself over the years, but it was one of the few lessons he continued to fail time and time again. (Honestly, it was nothing short of a miracle that Katie hadn't figured him out yet.)

"I'll keep an eye out as you shop," he said, hoping she'd buy his tiny lie.

Katie looked at him for a moment, her brow furrowed. "Are you sure? I know how important this is to you."

"I..." Keithir paused, unsure of what he wanted to say. "Kolivan... isn't happy with me at the moment. If he found out that I went behind his back after he specifically told me to stay out of it, he'd probably send me back to Daibazaal."

Katie took another look around and quickly saw what had Keithir so hesitant to continue with his plans. "Is that Regris?"

Keithir nodded.

"I guess it can't be helped then..." Disappointment seeped through Katie's voice. "Well, I think I see what I'm getting Lance."

Keithir kept an eye out for any other members of the Blade as he followed Katie around the marketplace, helping her pick out a variety of facial products for Lance and several small boxes of unusual candies for Hunk.

"I just have Shiro left now," Katie said as they circled back past the stalls displaying clothing from all different parts of the universe. She had stopped earlier to look at a shirt for herself, but decided to pass on it in the end.

For a second time, Keithir found himself drawn to a red-and-white jacket made of a heavier material than he was used to.

"Huh, it kind of reminds me of Earth fashion," Katie said when she doubled back to find him. "Do you like it?"

"Thace would say it isn't suitable for a prince," Keithir said, regretfully turning away from it. "What next? Is there anything specific you had in mind for Shiro?"

"There are a few tapestries I found up ahead that he might like. We've been trying to get him to personalize his room more, so something like that might be perfect," Katie said. "Why don't you go ahead. I, uh, want to look at that shirt again."

Keithir hesitated. "I don't really know what he'd like."

Katie had already disappeared behind the racks of clothing. "Ask for anything that references Voltron or the Lions!"

Keithir stood there for a moment longer, cast one last look at the jacket, and then moved on to do as she requested. It could be fun, trying to pick something Shiro would like. Maybe he'd find something for his own room – something Thace and Ulaz would enjoy as well.

It wasn't difficult to find the place she was talking about and Keithir spent several minutes looking at the tapestries by himself, marveling over the beautiful patterns. He didn't know much about weaving, but to him it didn't look like there was a single thread out of place.

"Do you like it?"

Keithir did an undignified shuffle, tamping down his natural response to draw his blade. Standing to his left was a woman whom he at first mistook as being Altean, but quickly realized he was very wrong. The markings on her face weren't the familiar crescents, but jewel-like amethyst scales which also covered the sides of her neck and the parts of her forehead not obscured by hair. Her eyes were that exact same color – unnervingly bright.

"Sorry, I just, uh?"

"Was looking?" she prompted, sounding amused. There was a strange accent to her voice that he struggled to place. "We are flattered that you are viewing our work, Prince Keithir, but I doubt it is a suitable gift for your betrothed."

"It's not. It's... wait, how do you know about us?" Keithir asked, narrowing his eyes.

The woman smiled. "There is little she does not see."

Keithir subtly took a step back, starting to wonder if he should go back and tell Katie they should try something else. There was something very weird going on. Even more unsettling, he couldn't sense a drop of malice from the strange woman.

"Perhaps she could even help with your... familial issue."

Yup. Keithir was _done_. He was getting Katie, finding Coran, and getting the quiznak out of the marketplace and back to the ship. He'd make it up to Shiro later.

"Keithir, did you find anything?" Katie asked as she walked up and joined them.

Amethyst eyes turned to her instead. "I believe she is ready to see you both now. Please, follow me." Without waiting for a response, she walked towards the tent in the center of the hanging tapestries and tables, and held open one flap so they could enter.

Keithir caught Katie by the arm as she made to follow. "We're not going in there."

Katie blinked up at him curiously. "Why not? T'maa wants to introduce us to the one making the tapestries. I asked her before I sent you over if they have anything about Voltron, but we have to meet to weaver first."

"Wait, so..." Keithir scowled at the strange woman, who looked very amused as she watched him piece everything together.

"She's an Akalak. They like to play jokes and scare people to see how they react," Katie said in undertone. "As long as we don't do anything to insult her, we'll be fine."

"Come," T'maa beckoned again.

Katie slid her hand into Keithir's, her tiny fingers curling around his. She didn't let go even once they were inside and neither did he.

T'maa left them alone, vanishing behind another set of curtains to speak to someone in a low voice. After a few minutes, the curtain shifted again and a new figure stepped into the room, focusing unblinking silver-white eyes on them.

"The Prince and the Paladin," she greeted, her voice warm. "I was hoping I would get the opportunity to meet the two of you. T'maa says you are interested in my work?"

"Yes. They're very beautiful," Katie complimented.

"I am pleased that you think so. T'maa has gone to fetch a few you may have interest in. She will not be but a moment. Perhaps in the meantime, you would permit me to do a Reading for you. I feel both of you have many questions that I may be able to provide the answers to."

"Sorry, but who are you?" Keithir asked.

"I am Isa."

Keithir could feel his frustration building. Were there any Akalaks willing to give a straight answer instead of being enigmatic? A name was hardly of any help.

Even Katie looked confused, though not for the same reason. "What do you mean by a reading?"

"I was not born of the planet Akala, but somewhere quite different. My people were gifted with an unusual Sight many eons ago and we prefer to stay hidden. Though things are not always so clear to us, there are those who would use our knowledge of future events to do great evil in this universe," Isa explained. "And even those who do not intend on doing so, can be led down a dark path when they know too much. What I offer to you is guidance. You search for your father and brother, do you not?"

Katie drew in a sharp breath. "How do you...?"

"I See a great loss around you, but also hope. You are on the right path, Green Paladin. There are more than you know aiding in your search and I believe the reunion you seek is approaching quickly. Do not give up."

A shiver ran down Keithir's spine as Isa's gaze shifted to him instead.

"Your future is... difficult for me to See. There is something very important that has been hidden from you. Something stemming from the quarrel between you and your brother. Though perhaps quarrel is not the best word... A darkness is there. A rift between you that brings great pain." Isa paused, tilting her head and blinking at long last. "There is more. But... I am unsure. May I have your hand? It would permit me to better See."

Keithir stared at her outstretched hand. While she still unnerved him, there was something that made him want to trust her. His curiosity to hear what else she had to say had him reaching out and lightly placing his hand over hers, while still holding onto Katie with the other.

"Well now..." Isa breathed in pleasant surprise. "Should I? No, perhaps that is best left untold. Thank you, Prince Keither. You have given me more hope for the future than you know."

"What did you see?" Katie asked.

Isa smiled and withdrew her hand, gesturing to T'maa as she burst through the curtain with several rolled-up tapestries in her arms. The Akalak woman deposited them on a nearby table and then lifted the one on the very top, unfurling a woven depiction of Voltron, standing against a starry sky, blazing sword held aloft.

"A legend reborn."

* * *

"You have done well, Zethrid," Lotor said, sounding pleased. "The Paladins and the Blade of Marmora will waste days of time on this, while we get back to what is truly important without any of them breathing down our necks."

Zethrid crossed her arms over her chest. She was unable to stop herself from smirking at the thought of the chaos she'd caused. "I was hoping for more explosions."

Lotor chuckled. "All in due time. We must still tread carefully so long as my brother is still around. No doubt he will soon come to the conclusion that I am behind this somehow, as he always does, but without proof he has nothing."

Acxa shifted her weight from what foot to another, earning an irate look from her prince.

"Unless there is something you have neglected to tell me, Acxa."

She closed her eyes, unable to meet his gaze as she delivered her unwanted news. "There are rumors, sir, from the Taabaher station in regards to an attempted break-in. The commander there insists they found nothing of value, but I reviewed the security feeds myself. There were two of them who got aboard. One of them carried the Green Paladin's bayard."

Lotor gritted his teeth at the new information. He would have to rearrange his plans to accommodate her sudden interest in interfering, undoubtedly brought on by his _dear brother_. She was becoming more than just a little nuisance. He would have to deal with her the same way he planned on dealing with his brother.

It was the only way to achieve his goal.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

The plan was a simple one – go down and ask Keithir and Keith to join them for breakfast and then unveil the gifts she'd picked out for everyone. The tapestry would work as the perfect excuse, since it was unwieldy enough for her to ask for help, but she really wanted Keithir to be able to spend time with everyone outside of training.

She'd already taken the presents to the kitchen and hid them away with Hunk's assistance and the sworn promise that he wouldn't let Lance have his ahead of time, no matter how much he pleaded. All that was left was to pay a visit to the two half-Galran's and hope they didn't already have plans for breakfast.

She knocked on the door and it wasn't long before someone answered. Pidge smiled brightly at Keith, who seemed surprised to see her there.

"Have you and Keithir had breakfast yet?" she asked before he had the chance to say anything. "Because I was hoping you both could join us."

Keith hesitated, glancing back at someone in the room behind him before speaking. "Prince Keithir has something to take care of right now, but I can join you."

"Oh." Pidge tried not to sound too disappointed. She really had hoped... She pushed that feeling aside. "Well, I hope you're hungry. Hunk's cooking extra today."

Keith quickly bid goodbye to whoever was in the room and gestured for Pidge to lead the way. He fell in step next to her. "Does Hunk cook all of your meals?"

Pidge shook her head. "Not always, but he does enjoy it so he cooks as often as he can. Breakfast is always shared as a team, but lunch and dinner vary depending on what everyone is doing."

"Are you sure I won't be intruding?" Keith asked.

"Of course not," Pidge said. "The others will be happy that you're joining us and if anyone does have a problem, they just won't get the gift I picked for them."

"You don't have to do that. I... It's not worth it," Keith said.

Pidge didn't miss the unspoken words. Her eyes were soft as she glanced up at him. "You're my friend, Keith. Of course you're worth it. And that's why I also have a gift for you."

Keith tripped up in surprise. "For me?"

Pidge hummed, refusing to say more. She didn't want to give away the whole surprise and she knew if he got her to talk more about it, she wouldn't be able to resist the temptation to drop a hint about what it was. She was never very good about giving hints. Hers were always so obvious they couldn't even be called that.

They reached the kitchen soon after. Hunk was the first to spot them and his face broke out with a wide smile. "You're here! But where's Prince Keithir?"

"He couldn't make it," Pidge told him, once again struggling to keep her disappointment from showing.

Okay, so her betrothed was busy that morning. She'd spent the entire day before with him! She couldn't monopolize all of his time, even if she kind of wanted to. She never could have imagined she'd come to enjoy his company as much as she was.

"So what's this I hear about presents?" Lance asked from where he sat at the table with Shiro and Allura.

Pidge grinned and eagerly walked to her hiding spot to open the cabinet door. "I thought you guys might want some souvenirs. Here, Hunk." She picked up a flat, rectangular box wrapped in plain paper and handed it to the Yellow Paladin, who eagerly began to tear into it the moment he had it in his hands. He got as far as ripping one corner before he stopped and sheepishly looked up at Pidge.

She laughed. "Go ahead!"

Breathing a quick sigh of relief, he removed the rest of the wrapping and beamed when he saw it was a box full of unusual assorted candies for him to try. Pidge knew it was one of his favorite things to get when they went someplace new.

Lance was next, eagerly reaching his hands out in a "gimme" gesture. For a moment, Pidge was tempted to pick out Allura's next instead, but it was a little too early in the day to handle Lance's overdramatic reaction to that, even if he was doing it just to be funny.

"Oooo!" Lance looked delighted as he pulled the first jar of lotion out of the bag. "Is there any-? Yes!"

Pidge grinned as he found the face masks, which made him more excited than anything else she'd picked out. She'd expected it to be a difficult find, but even that far out in space they had products designed for Alteans, who luckily had a similar skin-type to humans.

After him was Allura, who happily cooed over her new silken scarf. Pidge had to turn back to the cabinet to keep herself from laughing when the princess turned to Shiro and let him feel the softness for himself by rubbing it against his cheek.

"Aww," Hunk and Lance teased in unison.

Allura withdrew with a small blush and Shiro faked a cough as he looked away.

Pidge's hand brushed against the next gift – a small, square box. Suddenly overcome with a bout of shyness, she silently held it out for Keith, who took it the moment he realized it was for him.

He slid the lid off and lifted up a thin chain, on the end of which was an orb. It was primarily blue in color, with swirls of white swirling across the glass surface and stationary segments of green and pale brown.

"That's Earth," Pidge said quietly. "You mentioned you were born there, but you don't remember much, so I found that for you. So you can have a piece of your first home."

Keith struggled to find words – any words, but all he could do was stare at the orb in silent awe. That was _Earth_. Where he was born. Where his father was from. Where his parents met and fell in love. It was home to half of him, no matter how much he pretended otherwise.

"Keith?" Pidge asked softly, her voice so low he could barely catch the whispered words. "Is it okay? I... I can get something else."

"No. No, this is perfect. Thank you, Katie," he said, slipping it over his head so it could rest against his heart.

Pidge's shoulders relaxed, pleased that her gift had gone over so well. She had feared she'd overstepped a boundary.

She turned to get Shiro's present next, lifting it off of the counter with slight difficulty as one end weighed down and threatened to tip the whole thing out of her arms. Keith hurried to pick up the falling end and Pidge gave him a grateful smile.

"Help me unroll it?" she asked.

Keith found the free edge and nodded, moving with her so it would face Shiro once revealed.

"I thought you could use something nice to decorate your room, Shiro, so we – Keithir and I – found this for you." Pidge looked to Keith and they simultaneously released the roll, unveiling an image of the Black Lion in mid-flight, her wings spread wide in their full glory.

Shiro slowly stood and made his way over to them, his eyes fixed on the tapestry the whole way. "It's incredible, Pidge. Thank you." And then, to Keith he said: "Could you give Prince Keithir my thanks as well?"

To his credit, Keith gave no outward reaction to the subtle jab. Shiro knew he still hadn't told Pidge the truth and he wasn't afraid to express his disapproval, but at the same time he was going to keep his word to leave it to Keith to tell her the truth.

It was a warning, though. Keith couldn't see it as anything less.

 _Tell her before it's too late._

Pidge's gift suddenly felt ice cold against his skin.

Keith shoved those thoughts away as he and Pidge worked to roll the tapestry back up and hand it over to Shiro. After that, it was a struggle to get through breakfast without feeling an intense wave of guilt every time he looked at Pidge.

 _Soon_ , he swore to himself. He just needed the right moment.

* * *

It felt wrong the leave Nyrydya without acquiring proof of Lotor's surprise attack on the communication satellite. Not even the knowledge that the Blade of Marmora would continue to quietly investigate was enough to put Allura's mind at ease.

Their official report was that an asteroid of unknown size and origin had impacted the satellite, taking out the life support and causing all systems to shut down. It was completely fabricated, of course, but it would keep people suspecting any of the less-friendly planets in the area and hopefully keep Lotor from suspecting that they knew. It was a long shot, after Pidge and "Keith's"little excursion onto the refueling station.

Allura sighed as she took her place at the helm, ready to pilot the Castle of Lions home.

There was so much happening that she didn't know where to begin. Lotor's goal was the most pressing matter, but the mess Keithir had tangled himself in was a ticking time bomb that she feared would go off with spectacular effects.

She'd have to leave that to Shiro. He'd promised to handle it and she trusted him to keep his word.

Allura looked to Coran, who couldn't keep his hands off of the strange gadget Pidge had given him. She didn't doubt it would keep him busy until he discovered all of its secrets.

Just like the mystery surrounding Lotor would keep _her_ busy. Allura wouldn't rest until she put an end to whatever he was planning. _Nothing_ was so important that it was worth the loss of fifteen innocent Alteans – or any number, for that matter.

Allura closed her eyes and steadied her breath.

First she'd focus on getting them home safely. Then she could worry about everything else.

* * *

Lance paced back and forth in the kitchen, arms crossed over his chest as he glared at the floor as if it had done something grievous to offend him. Hunk watched him from the table as he slowly munched on some chips he'd made.

"Babe, are you going to tell me why you look like you've just been told garlic knots are banned from the Castle?" Hunk asked. He hoped that either the use of pet name or the mention of Lance's favorite snack would get his attention, but neither worked.

He narrowed his eyes and popped another chip in his mouth. Lance was thinking deeply about something, which rarely turned out well for him. The last time Lance cooked up something that made Pidge mad enough to ignore them for two whole days before Shiro stepped in and intervened.

Hunk really hoped they weren't about to have a repeat experience of that.

"So, what do you think Blaytz needed to tell Shiro and Allura about?" he asked, making a second attempt to get his boyfriend's attention. "It must be important if he came back to Altea so soon."

"Yeah, I guess..."

Triumph! Lance was clearly still lost in thought, but at least he was responding.

Hunk pressed on. "Do you think it's because of what happened in the Napamku Quadrant? Maybe he came to see how he could help."

Lance continued pacing, but his glare lessened and he uncrossed his arms. "We can ask them about that too."

"Too?" Hunk repeated in confusion. "What else are we asking them about?"

Lance stopped and turned to look at Hunk. "Look, I know I wasn't the biggest fan of this whole marriage thing between Pidge and Keithir, but I'm actually starting to be okay with it. I mean, Keithir seems like he's alright, but... Just keep that in mind when I say, I think there's something weird going on with him."

"Weird how?"

"Like... like..." Lance flailed his arms as he tried to articulate his thoughts. "Okay, the last time I brought this up, everyone shot me down like I'd suggested something ridiculous – and yeah, fine, people can have similar names or the same name, it's not that weird. But _Keith_ and _Keithir_? Seriously? Has no one noticed how they're never in the same room together? They even look the quiznaking same! Same color eyes, same height, same stupid mullet!"

"Should I be worried about you looking at some other guy?" Hunk tried to tease.

Lance scowled. "I'm being serious, Hunk!"

"Okay, okay. Maybe... maybe they chose Keith to act as his servant because he also makes a good body double. The name could just be a coincidence," he tried to suggest.

"There's no way!" Lance exclaimed, shaking his head. "C'mon, Hunk, you agree with me, right? There's something weird going on!"

Hunk hesitated. He didn't disagree. He'd had his suspicions as well, but he couldn't say for sure that they were the same person. Keith was clearly part human, as Pidge had told them, but Prince Keithir was the son of Emperor Zarkon and Empress Honerva, which made him half-Altean.

Something wasn't adding up.

"I think you might be right," Hunk cautiously admitted. He quickly continued before Lance could cut in. "But I think it's something we should talk to Shiro and Allura about before we jump to conclusions."

Lance looked pleased just to have someone who believed him. He wasn't just imagining things!

The two waited as patiently as they could, knowing their leader and the princess would at least stop by to let them know how the meeting went. Then they'd be able to question them in the relative safety of their private kitchen or one of the more secure rooms nearby, if the news from Blaytz was more serious than they thought.

Lance resumed pacing for a few minutes, before sighing and sitting down with Hunk. He scooted his chair close enough that he could comfortably rest his head on his boyfriend's broad shoulder. "Can we go back to two months ago when we didn't have to worry about any of this?"

Hunk gave Lance a chaste kiss on the cheek. "We'd have to relive it again."

"Yeah, but at least we'd know what to expect," Lance grumbled. He was silent for a few minutes, content to just relax. "Hey, Hunk?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think Pidge has noticed?" Lance asked.

The question gave Hunk pause. _Had_ she noticed? There were so many other things she had to worry about that it wouldn't surprise him if she hadn't. It would probably be best if they talked to Shiro and Allura without Pidge, at least until they found out the truth.

"I don't know," Hunk murmured.

Not long after that, they heard Allura's voice as she and Shiro approached the kitchen. Lance sat up straight as they walked in.

Shiro raised an eyebrow when he saw them sitting there quietly. "Is something wrong, you two?"

"Yeah, what's the deal with Keithir? Why's he pretending to be another person?" Lance demanded, jumping right into it. " _Please_ tell me you two have noticed! Me and Hunk can't be the only ones who see it!"

Shiro looked taken aback for a moment. He glanced back at the door and then shook his head. "Not here."

"Shiro's right. There are a few other things we need to discuss as well and I'd rather not be overheard," Allura said, turning back around and gesturing for the three of them to follow her down the hall to another room.

Hunk waited until the door was shut before he asked a question of his own. "If Keithir is Keith, why does he look human?"

Shiro held up a hand to stymie the next wave of questions before they could start. "I want to make it clear that none of this leaves this room and I don't want either of you to tell Pidge what we're talking about. It's Keithir's responsibility to tell her the truth."

"Ugh, I hate this," Lance grumbled.

Hunk half raised his hand. "So, uh, why does he look human? Shouldn't he look more Altean, like Lotor?"

"I can answer that," Allura spoke up. "As Shiro said before, none of what we say here leaves this room. I need both of you to promise me that right now."

Hunk and Lance both swore to keep it a secret and Allura squared her shoulders as she prepared to tell them what little she knew.

"The first thing you need to understand is that the Galra have a very different way of determining who will lead as Emperor or Empress. A natural-born heir is always the first to be considered, but if they lack the respect of their people or don't want to lead, then another may take the challenge at the Kral Zera."

"What's a Kral Zera?"

Allura smiled at Hunk's question. "It is tradition for the new Emperor to ascend the steps of the Kral Zera and light the beacon with the eternal flame to symbolize their rule. The point is, royal blood isn't something that greatly matters to the Galra." She paused, letting the information settle. "The second thing is, children are very precious to the Galra. If something happens to the parents, there is always a member of the family or close friend who is more than happy to adopt them as their own. There are no orphans in the Empire.

"I don't know the full story, but from what I've heard, Empress Honerva had a difficult time with her pregnancy. It was recommended that they not try for a second child after Lotor, though both wished for another."

Hunk made a questioning sound. "Keithir's adopted?"

Allura nodded. "Prince Keithir is not their biological son. His mother was Galra, but his father was of Earth."

Stunned silence fell over the room.

* * *

Pidge couldn't sit around any longer. She couldn't focus on any of her projects as long as her gift for Keithir was sitting on the corner of her desk, taunting her. Not even the sight of Rover spinning like a top in midair was enough to distract her for long.

She sighed, looking at the door and parts scattered across the desktop. It didn't matter what she tried, Rover just _wouldn't work_. There had to be some pivotal piece of information she was missing when it came to Galra tech. Maybe Keithir would know the answer...

She groaned and pushed back from the desk.

A little walk would do wonders to clear her head. And just in case her walk happened to take her past Keithir's room, she'd bring the present along with her.

Who was she trying to kid?

Pidge was excited to see his reaction to what she got for him. He'd sounded so disappointed when he told her that Thace wouldn't approve of the jacket. She grabbed the package and hurried on her way before she could talk herself out of it.

Pidge passed several Alteans on her journey, some of whom she recognized. She waved to Romelle and her brother as they returned to their rooms, ready to get back to work with the Castle of Lions firmly settled on Altea. It was good to see all of the civilian families returning. It made the Castle feel more welcoming.

There were fewer people as she got closer to Keithir's quarters. She knew it was part of the security measures to decrease traffic where he was staying, but that didn't make the abnormal quiet any less disconcerting.

Regris was standing guard at the door. He inclined his head toward her as she approached and stepped aside to allow her access.

"Find anything interesting at the market, Regris?" she asked as she knocked on the door.

Regris shrugged. "They had good food."

Pidge gave a small laugh as the door opened to reveal Ulaz, who blinked down at her. She smiled up at the older Galran. "Is Keithir here?"

"He is. Please, come in," Ulaz said, moving over so she could pass. "How is your shoulder?"

"Much better. It was a little stiff right after the healing pod, but I haven't had any problems since then," Pidge told him. As she stepped inside, she cast a quick look around, hoping to see her betrothed. Her smile grew bigger when she found him standing near the couch, where he'd evidently been sitting when she arrived.

"I am glad to hear it. Should your injury give you any trouble, feel free to come to me," Ulaz said.

Pidge thanked him before he left the room to give her and Keithir a little more privacy. She slowly approached the couch. The package felt heavy in her hands.

"Hey," she greeted. "I, uh, wanted to give you this the other morning, but Keith said you were busy, so..." She held out the gift when she was close enough for him to take it.

Keithir curiously felt the package, his furry ears perked forward as he turned it over in his hands. "I wish I had something to give you in return. It's almost ready, but there's one last piece I need to make," he said, sounding regretful.

"There's no rush. I just picked this up while we were out. I hope you like it," Pidge said.

She really needed her heart to stop beating so fast. There was no reason for her body to be reacting like that! Except that she honestly had no idea how he'd react, and it was making her nervous.

Maybe the jacket was a bad idea.

Maybe she should have designed upgrades to the shield she made him. That would have been much more useful! Or even one of those daggers she saw at the market! Sure, those weren't as nice as the blade he already had, but it seemed more like something he'd enjoy.

It was too late for that. Keithir was already opening it.

Pidge swallowed, watching for his reaction as he removed the wrapping to reveal the fabric inside. His eyes widened and his mouth parted slightly in surprise, and for a moment she was reminded of Keith's stunned reaction when she gave him his gift.

"Katie, this is..." Keithir's words got stuck in his throat as he held the jacket up for a better look. It was primarily red, except for the top portion of the sleeves, the cuffs, and the high-neck collar, which were all white. Across the front were two bold strips of yellow.

He couldn't wait to try it on and quickly did so, enjoying the way it didn't cling to him like the majority of his clothing did. He wouldn't be wearing it to any royal functions, but it was nice and comfortable for everyday use.

"It's a good fit," Pidge complimented.

Keithir turned to her, unable to stop smiling. It was a shame his present for her wasn't ready, but maybe there was something else he could do to show his thanks. It wasn't a gift, but a way to express how he felt.

He took a risk when he reached for her hand, watching her face to make sure he wasn't pushing boundaries, and then lifted it to his lips, placing a quick kiss to the back.

Pidge's breath hitched and her face turned bright red all the way to her ears, but she didn't yank her hand away or turn to run.

"Thank you, Katie," he murmured.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

It was finally finished.

He'd taken another three days to finish crafting the perfect sheaths for the pair of slender, ornate daggers he'd picked for Katie during their trip to the open market on the third moon of Nyrydya. She had her bayard for her work as a paladin, but there would be times she wouldn't have a way to conceal it on her. The daggers, however, were small enough that they wouldn't draw attention.

Keithir sat back and took a look at his handiwork. He had also taken the time to make several belts to go with them. There was a large one to go around her waist for an everyday casual look and two smaller ones, which he hoped were the right size to go around her size.

He tried to do it completely by memory at first, but quickly decided it would be for the best if he consulted his mother about his project. She had a set of her own, which he knew because she'd shown him once or twice whenever he voiced concerns about her safety. Thanks to her, his vision for Katie's gift came to life.

A knock at the door drew his attention away from his project.

"Hey, this was dropped off for you," Regris said, holding up a book as he entered Keithir's room. "What do you want with this anyway?"

"It's not for me, it's for Katie," Keithir told him. He held out a hand and tried not to let his relief show when Regris passed it to him without any of his usual games.

Regris stood there for a moment longer, clearly hesitating to leave. "You know, I still can't believe you are getting married."

"It's not official yet," Keithir reminded him.

"But it will be soon. And after that, there's no baking out for either of you. Are you sure stopping Lotor is worth being bound together for the rest of your lives?"

Keithir frowned. "Of course it is. If this is how we can stop Lotor, then this is what we're going to do. And Katie agrees with me."

Regris cocked his head to the side. "The two of you have talked about this?"

"Yes, a few weeks ago."

"Huh. Maybe you two are a better match than I thought," Regris said. "Well, good luck with the rest of your courtship. I'm rooting for you two crazy cubs."

Keithir rolled his eyes. "We're not cubs anymore, Regris."

The other member of the Blade chuckled as he walked away. "You'll always be a cub to me, prince."

* * *

"Is there a reason why the two of you are standing at my door?" Pidge asked.

She'd gotten up a little late that morning, after a late night down in the hangar dismantling the anti-gravity generator in a fit of frustration. As it turned out, her strange little trash creatures could float on their own, regardless of gravity, they just liked crawling around so she'd pick them up and carry them around. The Green Lion had stopped her from doing anything too crazy, but she still didn't get back to her room until the Altean equivalent of three in the morning.

So she wasn't entirely pleased to see Lance and Allura waiting for her, when all she wanted to do was get some food and then sleep a little more.

"Wonderful, you're awake!" Allura said, beaming at her. "Nilani talked to Lance this morning to say that she has assembled a collection of basic gowns for you to take a look at. She would like to know what styles you prefer before you decide anything else."

Pidge turned back around. "Nope. Going back to bed."

Lance latched onto her before she could get far. "It won't take long, I promise. All you have to do is take a look and see if there's anything you like. Or at the very least see if there's anything you hate."

Pidge groaned, but didn't put up much resistance as he pulled her fully out into the hall. "Can I at least eat first?"

"Of course," Allura said. "We'll grab you something to eat on the way."

Slightly appeased by the knowledge she could have food first, Pidge willingly went along with them as they first took her to the kitchen for a nice, nutritious bowl of food goo, and then down to one of the lower levels where Nilani had set up a workshop.

Pidge paused with her spork halfway to her mouth, astounded by the racks of gowns taking up most of the room. Nilani was at the front, wildly gesturing to someone with all four of her arms and a smile on her face. Pidge assumed that meant she was excited and not angry.

"Go ahead and look around. I'll go tell Nilani you're here," Lance said.

Pidge stuck a sporkful in her mouth and nodded while Allura dove right into the nearest rack, eagerly examining the dresses and occasionally pulling one out to show Pidge.

It wasn't long before Lance and Nilani joined them.

The bronze-skinned, half-Altean clapped both pairs of her hands together, bouncing on the balls of her feet as she addressed Pidge. "I'm so glad you came! I don't know if Lance told you, but I was thinking of getting a head start on your wedding gown. Four months is such little time to design for a royal wedding, but we can do it! I promise, I'll have it ready in time!"

"Thank you, Nilani," Allura said, stepping in. "And should you need anything to accomplish this, you only need to ask. I believe Lance has volunteered to help with that, since the two of you are already in regular contact with each other."

Nilani nodded. "That's right! I'll be giving Lance any updates that need to be passed along." She turned back to Pidge. "Today will be an easy day for you, Lady Pidge, but also very important. I just need to know a few simple things so I can get an idea of what you're comfortable with wearing!"

That didn't sound simple at all. It sounded exhausting, like shopping for clothing before the start of a new school year and being forced to try on every single article of clothing she showed even vague interest in.

Pidge cast a helpless look at Lance, who gave her a thumbs up and mouthed: "You've got this!"

"First, long or short?" Nilani asked.

"Uh, long?" Pidge responded, sounding uncertain.

Nilani hummed in thought, her left hands and lower right moving to rest on her hips, while her upper right tapped her chin. She slowly circled Pidge, scrutinizing her. "Long is a good choice. And perfect for a royal wedding... Not a big skirt though, but something that flows... What about sleeves? Long, short, or none?"

Quiznak.

Pidge was not the least bit prepared. She'd thought about it a little, but didn't have anything concrete in mind. "I... I don't know," she admitted.

"To be determined then. That's fine. We'll figure that out along the way," Nilani said reassuringly. "What about the style of the neckline? Any preference there?"

"Nothing too low cut," Pidge said, more sure about that answer.

Nilani hummed, turning to a nearby rack and selecting one of the short gowns there. She draped it over one arm and then bounded away for more.

Pidge remained where she was, unsure if she was meant to follow her. She didn't need to worry, as Nilani quickly returned and held up four different gowns.

"Just focus on the top here. How low are you comfortable with?" Nilani asked.

Pidge took a moment to look them over. The sharp v-neck was a definite 'no', as was what she recognized as a sweetheart neckline. The low scoop, however, was okay, and the simple crew as well.

"That's a good start," Nilani said as she began returning the gowns to where she found them. "How do you feel about high-necks? Would you find that too confining or is it a possible okay?"

Pidge considered the undersuit of her paladin armor and nodded. "I'll be okay with that."

"Excellent!" Nilani reappeared from between the rack with a huge grin on her face. "If you want to come back tomorrow, I'll have some ready for you to look at and try on. We can narrow it down from there and then we can start on the fun part!"

Pidge had a feeling that Nilani was going to have more fun with it than she was, but she had to admit the process so far wasn't as bad as she expected. She thanked the half-Altean and made sure Allura and Lance didn't need anything else before she left, eager to put her bowl away and try to get a nap in before her dinner with Keithir that evening.

"Pidge, wait up!"

She nearly groaned when she heard Lance call out to her, but she stopped and waited for him to catch up regardless of her desire to keep walking.

She was so close to freedom!

"Sorry, we forgot to tell you something," Lance said as he caught up. "I know you're having dinner with Keithir tonight, but could you meet us after that? We'll be in our failed yoga room."

"Do I get to know why I'm meeting you two?" Pidge asked.

"Only if you promise not to run away," Lance joked. "Allura and I have been practicing for a few weeks and I'm practically a pro now, so we want to start teaching you how to dance for the wedding."

Dancing. Yet another thing she hadn't thought about.

Pidge felt a rush of gratitude towards her friends. She would be woefully unprepared without the two of them. She needed to find some way to make it up to them.

"I'll be there," she promised.

"Good. And, uh, don't tell Hunk about this. I want to surprise him," Lance said.

Pidge swore she would keep it a secret and then Lance let her go on her way. As she headed towards the kitchen, she started to re-evaluate her plans for the day. Maybe all she needed was a tiny nap, rather than the long one she wanted. That would give her time to work on a few things...

She mulled it over as she walked.

* * *

Keithir was beginning to worry when Katie showed up for dinner a few minutes late and out of breath, as though she'd sprinted around the entire castle before finding him. He rose from the table as she burst in with an apology already on her lips.

"I fell asleep," she explained, her cheeks red. "I'm so sorry, Keithir. I thought I set my alarm, but I may have only dreamed that I did."

"Katie, you're fine," Keithir assured her. He moved around the table to pull out her chair and helped push it back in once she sat down. "We don't have to take a walk after this if you need to rest."

She shook her head. "I'm fine, really. Allura and Lance woke me up earlier than I expected, but I'm okay now. The run helped me wake up too."

Keithir sat back down across from her and the two began eating.

"So what was so important that they had to wake you up?" Keithir asked curiously.

Katie hesitated, but that may have been because she was in the middle of chewing. "They thought it would be good for me to get started on some wedding preparations, so I met with my seamstress today."

There was a shift in the atmosphere around them, not into something unwelcome but certainly slightly uncomfortable.

It wasn't like Keithir had forgotten. He had a gift for her that evening and had spent most of the day scrawling down a half-dozen ideas for the next phase of their courtship. Then there was his brief conversation with Regris, which had sparked an unknown worry in his gut. He needed to talk to her about it.

"I'm kind of nervous."

Keithir tilted his head, unsure of what she was talking about. He hadn't gotten the chance to ask her anything yet. "About what?"

"Designing this gown I'm going to wear," Katie admitted. "I was trying to do research earlier so I'd at least have some clue what I want, but I can't make sense of it. And that's just with the basics!"

Keithir tried not to laugh. He mostly succeeded, except for his grin. "Mother may be able to help with that. She used to tell me how hopeless she was when planning her own. Father would tell her that it was an unsuitable story for a young prince, but she just scoffed and said I'd appreciate it one day. I think he just didn't want her telling me that he was just as bad."

Katie's eyes lit up at the unspoken promise of an entertaining story. She leaned her elbows on the table, more focused on him than she was the food in front of her.

Keithir was happy to go into detail. "It's hard to imagine the mighty Emperor Zarkon, crying while saying his wedding vows to his tiny Altean bride, but that's what happened. She has pictures."

"They were in love," Katie said with a soft smile.

"Still are," Keithir agreed, his mood sobering slightly. He'd always wanted something like that. He thought it would be impossible as a member of the Blade of Marmora, but maybe he was wrong. He sat up a little straighter, another story coming to mind. "Mother always tells this one better, but..."

Katie listened attentively as he weaved the story of the young Emperor, woefully unprepared for being wed to an Altean with a rather different view on how extravagant a wedding should be, royal or otherwise. But despite all of the setbacks leading up to it (like Zarkon accidentally shooting his wedding attire from an airlock or the entire flock of flutterblooms that Alfor unintentionally released), the wedding went without a hitch.

"Well, I guess that explains the book Coran wrote," Katie said when the story was over.

"Coran has a book about it? What's it called?" Keithir asked.

Katie had to think for a moment to remember the full title. "It was something like... 'A Handy Guide for Navigating the Waters of Galran Courtship'. It was actually pretty informative," she said.

Keithir made a mental note to try and find it for himself. It could be interesting to see things from an outside perspective. "Speaking of courtship, I have something for you," he told her, reaching down to retrieve the box from the floor and slid it over to her. He apprehensively watched Katie open it. The way her expression flickered to surprise before settling on delight, washed away all of that worry he had.

"They're beautiful, Keithir," she complimented. She picked up one of the daggers, taking a moment to look it over and get a good feel for it. The green jeweled parts of the hilt glittered under the light.

"I got them so you could have something when you can't bring your bayard," Keithir explained. "They're small enough to be easily concealed under clothing."

Katie looked at him and smiled. "Will you teach me how to use them?"

Knowing that she genuinely liked his gift and wanted to put it to good use filled his heart with an indescribable warmth – one he'd never felt before. "Of course, Katie."

* * *

Allura huffed in irritation as she combed through her personal library in search of what she needed. She _knew_ it was there somewhere – the book that held all of the answers to the puzzle she and Shiro were trying to piece together. Blaytz's visit, and the information he brought with him, had created more questions than it had given answers.

Shiro sat by himself at the table near the wall, trying to concentrate on the first book she handed to him. It was difficult to do when he found himself more interested in watching her. She'd unbound her hair that day, letting it cascade around her in loose waves, and as always he had to fight the impulse to run his fingers through it to see if it was as soft as it looked.

Caught offguard and slightly embarrassed by his thoughts, Shiro forced himself to focus. He reread one sentence five times before Allura exclaimed triumphantly.

"I found it!"

Shiro looked up to see her eagerly flip through an aged book, scouring the pages for the one she was looking for. It didn't take her but a few ticks to find it and she happily walked over to place the book on the table so Shiro could see as well.

"The Legend of Oriande," she said, standing behind him to read over his shoulder. "Father used to read it to me all the time when I was younger. It was my favorite story. Oriande is said to be an ancient Altean kingdom and the home of the Great Sages. It's the birthplace of our alchemy."

"But it's just a legend, right?" Shiro asked. "So why is Lotor looking for it?"

"That _is_ the question," Allura murmured, narrowing her eyes.

"He must think it exists, in some form or another. Or there's something related to it that will give him what he wants," Shiro mused. He set aside the first book in order to read the one Allura hunted down for him. "Does Lotor have any skill with alchemy?"

"A little, from what I know. It's likely he learned from the Empress," Allura said. She leaned forward enough that her hair shifted forward to lightly brush against the back of Shiro's neck, sending a shiver down his spine.

He cleared his throat. "Um, Allura? Do you want to read this first or...?"

Allura backed away, a pretty blush coating her cheeks. "No, no! Go ahead! I'm going to see what else I can find. Figuring this out is of the utmost importance."

Why.

Why did he have to say anything? When did he get so bad at that sort of thing? Shiro cursed himself as Allura moved back to the other side of the room.

He just _had_ to ask if she wanted to read it first and made her feel embarrassed. He felt like a fool.

At least no one else was around to witness it. Especially Lance. He'd definitely have some kind of remark about how bad he was at wooing the princess. If he had to go through one more round of "no, Lance, I don't need tips" when he knew full well that Hunk was the romantic one in that relationship...

Shiro shook his head and focused. Again. Allura was right. Figuring out and putting an end to Lotor's plans was the most important thing. Romance could wait. He still had time.

* * *

Kolivan was there when Keithir got back from dinner with Katie. His good mood at setting up a date to teach her how to use her new weapons faded the moment he laid eyes on the leader of the Blade. There were few good reasons for him to pay them a visit at that hour and none of them were good.

"What's going on?" Keithir asked wearily.

"Relax. I am only here to give you an update on that matter you asked me to look into," Kolivan said calmly.

Keithir's ears perked up. "You've heard something? What is it?"

Kolivan shook his head. "It is not anything concrete and I have asked them to continue looking into it, but I believe we are very close to finding the location of the missing Holts, as well as the identities of those who captured them and Shiro. We are close, Keithir. Just give us a little more time."

Close. That was better than Keithir could have dreamed. Just a little bit more time and he'd be able to share the good news with Katie. She'd dealt with rumors for too long – he'd wait until they were certain. She deserved that certainty.

"Your courtship is the most important thing right now," Kolivan continued. "We need you to focus on bonding with the Green Paladin. Would you say things are progressing smoothly?"

"I guess? I mean, I like spending time with her. She asked me to help her with some training," Keithir said with a shrug. He wasn't really sure what Kolivan was asking for.

Kolivan looked at him for a long moment and then nodded. "I am glad to hear it."


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Pidge wasn't sure what she'd been thinking when she began to plan their first trip together. She blamed the Green Lion, who'd most likely influenced her throughout the process. It would explain why she thought an excursion to the forests of Olkarion was a good idea. It was too late to change her plans though. Ryner had already accepted her request and was looking forward to welcoming the pair to her home and Pidge had gotten Thace on board to act as their chaperon. In short, things were already in motion and she couldn't back out even if she wanted to.

"Stop laughing at me, Greenie," Pidge grumbled, casting a glare at her Lion, who sat silent and motionless. Through their bond, however, was the deep rumble she'd come to associate with amusement.

Pidge knew her predicament was her own fault, no matter who had influenced her decision. Keithir always looked so excited when he talked about the times he was allowed in the wilderness and he'd never gotten to visit Olkarion in his travels, and the thought of getting to share one of her favorite planets with him made her think it would be worth it.

He would love it there.

"I can't believe you're going to Olkarion without us!" Lance said, foregoing any greeting as he and Hunk barged into her hangar. Hunk, at least, looked apologetic for the intrusion.

"Look on the bright side, Shiro won't make you two run intense training drills while we're away. You'll get a break from that," Pidge pointed out.

"Oh boy, three whole days of freedom," Lance said sarcastically. "Which we'd probably get anyway, since him and Allura have practically locked themselves in her personal library. What do you think they're going in there anyway?"

"Not whatever you're thinking," Pidge said as she got up from her desk. She completely missed the look of utter(ly fake) disgust shot in her direction by Lance.

Hunk failed to stifle his laughter well enough and earned an annoyed look of his own. "Okay, but to be fair-"

"Yeah, yeah," Lance cut in. He wasn't able to maintain his annoyed facade for long and was soon grinning at the two of them. "But seriously, what do you think they're doing in there? Do you think Shiro finally confessed his feelings?"

Pidge took a moment to seriously consider his questions. "Well, considering it's Shiro, they're probably going over everything we already know about Lotor and trying to put together a plausible reason for his actions. They had that meeting with Blaytz the moment they got back and ever since then they've been up in her room, so maybe he learned something new?"

"Too bad he didn't stick around. I bet I could've gotten him to tell me what's going on," Lance said.

"It _would_ be nice to be in the loop," Hunk said, frowning as he picked up one of the tools on Pidge's workbench. "Hey, isn't this one of mine?"

Pidge waved a hand, gesturing for him to take it. "I borrowed it for something. Anyway, they'll tell us what's going on when they're ready. They've never kept important things from us before and I doubt that's going to change."

Hunk was about to say something else on the subject when he spotted _another_ item that didn't belong to Pidge. "Did you borrow my entire toolbox without asking? We've talked about this!"

She avoided meeting his eyes as she mumbled about possibly using a few of them, and Lance could only sigh as the pair began to bicker.

Eventually, Lance ended their argument with a threat to lock Hunk out of their shared room if they didn't stop, and then the pair left, though not without Hunk rescuing his four "borrowed" tools from the mess that was Pidge's workbench.

Pidge rolled her eyes as she tidied up a bit. Like Hunk had any right to be annoyed, considering how often he got into _her_ things without asking. And it wasn't like she'd broken or chipped them or anything! He'd been busy with Lance at the time and she only needed them for a little while. Maybe she'd gotten a bit sidetracked and held onto them for longer than she meant to, but she had every intention of returning them before bed!

(Later she would begrudgingly admit that maybe it was a little hypocritical of her.)

She looked up at the Green Lion, who had been suspiciously quite throughout their dispute. In fact, aside from rumbling her amusement over Pidge's small freak-out over her upcoming field trip with Keithir, Greenie hadn't responded to much over the past few days.

As she took a moment to focus on their bond, she could pick up on the slightest hint of tension from her Lion.

"What's wrong, girl?" Pidge asked, fulling turning to face the Green Lion. "Is there anything I can help with?"

There was apprehension and then a rush of affection and reassurance before Greenie eased away. Whatever was bothering her, she wasn't ready to share.

Pidge sighed. Her Lion was almost as stubborn as she was.

She stretched her arms out over her head and turned away from her workbench, unable to do much more there. There was a buzz of anxiety running through her veins and she needed to do something to work that out before she got so stressed she couldn't focus.

Maybe it was time for a little one-on-one against the gladiator in the training room. She'd have to set it to a low level since she'd be by herself, but that sounded like the perfect amount of light exercise. If she was lucky, that would give her time to clear her head.

Pidge hummed to herself as she bid goodbye to her Lion and left.

* * *

Pidge was gone, flying off to Olkarion for her first away trip with Prince Keithir. Shiro wished he could have gone with them as chaperon, but evidently the Rules of Galra Courtship dictated that, since Pidge picked the location, she had to select someone close to Keithir to join them. (He supposed that meant when it was Keithir's turn, he'd be choosing someone Pidge was close to.)

He glanced over at Allura, who was immersed in her collection of books, constantly going through them in search of what she needed, before furiously scribbling on her sheet of paper. He'd asked her once why she didn't use a computer, but had to agree with her reasoning that sometimes it felt better to write it out by hand.

Shiro set his book aside, carefully marking his spot so he could find it again later. "Allura, I'm going to take a walk. Can I get you anything?"

Allura made a noncommittal sound, and Shiro decided he would get her a drink and snack while he was out. She'd been in that room even longer than he had.

He gave her one last worried look and then left, relishing the chance to get up and move around. He figured he'd at least make his rounds through the castle, checking in with Hunk and Lance before going to see if Kolivan had any news for him. As he walked, his mind continued to try and work out the puzzle that had been laid before him. Nothing about Lotor's recent actions made sense to him.

Lotor set up a situation where the Daibazaal council pressed for an arranged marriage between him and Allura, but when that didn't work he turned around and attacked an Altean settlement. Then there were the reports from Blaytz's contact on Daibazaal about how Lotor was searching for something that was nothing more than a legend.

What was he missing?

There had to be something.

Was it all part of a big diversion, meant to confuse and misdirect them until they were completely off-guard when Lotor put his true plans into action? If that was true, it also meant he was well-aware of their spy.

Just how many steps ahead of them was he?

Shiro's feet led him to the kitchen, where he moved on autopilot to prepare a snack for him and Allura. He was too wrapped up in his thoughts to realize he'd skipped over everything else he set out to do.

"That's, uh, an interesting sandwich."

Shiro blinked out of his daze, first looking up to Lance's bemused expression and then down to the "sandwich", which was little more than several slices of bread with food goo spread between them. Hardly an appetizing meal.

"I wanted to make something for Allura," he said, regretting the words the moment they left his mouth. Shiro didn't need to look up to know Lance was sporting a shit-eating grin.

"For Allura, huh? How are things going? You two have been awful cozy up in that room by yourselves for the past few days," Lance said teasingly.

"We're researching," Shiro said shortly as he peeled apart the food goo sandwiches to layer in more ingredients. "Blaytz gave us intel and we want to find out more before we tell you three. It's proving... tedious."

Lance shifted, no doubt dying to ask what they'd learned from the Nalquodian, but managing to control himself. "Okay, but that's still a lot of time you guys are spending together," he pressed, and Shiro wished he'd asked about the intel instead. "I kind of figured after the whole Allura-almost-marrying-Lotor thing, you would have at least asked her on a date by now. What's stopping you?"

Shiro sighed. "It's complicated, Lance."

Lance crossed his arms over his chest. "No, it isn't. Look, Allura likes you and you clearly lke her back, so why are you still waiting? Pidge is giving up _everything_ so you two can have a chance and-"

"Lance," Shiro cut in sternly. "I know. I know it looks so simple from where you are-"

"Becuase it is," Lance grumbled.

"-but believe me when I say it isn't that easy for me."

Lance studied his leader with a frown. "What do you mean?"

Shiro kept his focus on properly layering a second sandwich. His hands trembled as he worked, and for a moment he didn't think he could bring himself to tell Lance. There were so many aspects of himself he kept hidden away for the sake of the team. He was their leader; there to help his team with whatever they needed without dumping his own problems on them. They needed a pillar of strength.

But Lance was right. He _did_ like Allura, very much. And he'd caught more than a few glances his way that let him know that she liked him just as much. It still didn't make it easy. Not after the way his last relationship ended.

"Shiro?" Lance's voice was soft as he walked closer. "Hey, you can talk to me, you know. We're a team and that means we help each other, right?"

"I was seeing someone before I left for Kerberos." The words tumbled out before Shiro could stop them, but they didn't end there. "We were flight partners and we just... clicked. I never could have imagined meeting someone I could work with better than Adam, but..." He placed one final piece of bread on top of his second sandwich and moved onto making a third. "He didn't want me to go to Kerberos. He was worried and we fought about it for months. And then... then I told him nothing else mattered. I was going on that mission."

"He left?" Lance guessed. He sighed when Shiro didn't do more than nod. "You're right. It is complicated. But I still say you should give things with Allura a chance. Or, y'know, at least tell her about Adam. I may have encouraged her to ask you out, like, a bunch of times, so..."

Shiro managed a faint smile, finally looking up at the Blue Paladin, who stood there nervously rubbing the back of his neck. "You're a good friend, Lance," he said, beginning to clean up his mess.

His heart felt a little lighter after his confession.

Lance had made a good point. Allura deserved to know why he was holding himself back; why he lacked such confidence in himself when it came to romance. And maybe talking about Adam would bring him the closure he needed.

They both made a choice. It was time for him to move on.

* * *

Olkarion was even more beautiful than he thought it would be.

When he first learned they would be travelling to Olkarion, Keithir thought for sure it would involve a tour of the city and a lot of enthusiastic rambling from Katie about their incredible technological achievements.

Instead, they were walking along a forest path, following behind Katie's Olkari friend, Ryner, as she detailed a time in history when the Olkari fled to the forest for safety and learned to attune their abilities to manipulate nature much like they did technology. Thace brought up the rear, keeping an eye out for any signs of trouble.

Keithir hoped Ryner wouldn't take offense to the fact that he was only half paying attention to what she was saying. It was rude and Thace was likely to chastise him for it later, but he kept finding himself distracted by everything else around them.

A rustling in the trees overhead, which turned out to be a flock of colorful Triniordals, whose scales wings glinted under the sunlight. The crunch of underbrush as a six-legged creature with green fur and impressive horns was startled away by their appearance. And if the fauna wasn't enough, the flora was equally as fascinating! Plants that curled shut as they approached. Hanging blue blossoms which made a bell-like sound as they moved in the breeze. Humming seeds the size of his head, suspended high above in the trees.

It was all so incredible!

"Enjoying yourself?" Katie quietly asked, stepping in close so he could hear her without much effort.

Ahead of them, Ryner continued to talk.

"This planet is beautiful," Keithir told her. "I can see why you like it here."

Katie smiled at the compliment. "It's mostly Greenie. I'm not much of a nature person – my allergies and pale skin see to that – but here she's in her element. And, um, I remembered you saying you like this kind of thing."

Keithir blinked in surprise and looked over at her. "You did this for me?"

"Well, yeah, I mean, I'm not completely miserable here. Olkarion really is a special place and even I have to admit how beautiful it is out here. And I kind of figured I owed you an actual picnic after the one I set up in the hangar," she said.

"You didn't have to. I would have been happy exploring the city with you, if that's where you're more comfortable. I'd enjoy spending time with you no matter where we are."

That... wasn't exactly what he meant to say.

Was it too late to take that last bit back?

Keithir looked away from her, his cheeks darkening to a deeper purple, never noticing the equally heavy blush Katie was sporting thanks to his words.

He cleared his throat. "So, a picnic? Is it more of Hunk's cooking?"

Relieved by the change of subject, Katie found her voice again. "Not this time. Ryner set everything up for me, so it's probably a variety of food to sample. All I did was pick the location. There's this overlook a little further on where you get the best view of the valley and it's one of my favorite places to visit when I come here. It's just big enough to land the Green Lion without disturbing the wildlife."

"I can't wait to see it," Keithir said.

Their conversation fell by the wayside as Ryner's voice drifted back to them. Keithir resumed observing his surroundings, but from that point on he was acutely aware of Katie walking close enough that he could reach out and take her hand if he wanted.

He didn't though.

There was something else he needed to do first. Shiro's disapproving face was something that plagued his dreams on a near nightly basis, not frightening enough to fuel nightmares, but it was enough that he woke with a sense of foreboding.

Keithir did not want to experience firsthand what it was like when Shiro ran out of patience.

He had to tell Katie the truth.

He had to tell her that he was Keith.

* * *

END CHAPTER

* * *

I had a bit of a debate with myself over whether or not to include Adam in this fic after the reveal at SDCC, and after a little back and forth I decided that it was only right that I do.


	19. Chapter 19

So it's been a while, and I'm so sorry about that! I never meant to take over two months to finish this chapter, but for whatever reason I found it hard to sit down and write it. I promise I won't take that long to write the next one, especially since I plan on finishing this fic by the end of the year.

It's hard to believe it's almost been a whole year since I posted the first chapter of this. I want to thank everyone who's stuck with me and my sporadic updates! You guys are seriously the best!

* * *

Chapter 19

Why?

Why was it so hard to tell her?

It should have been so simple! It was only one sentence: "I am Keith." That was it. Easy.

Keithir growled into his pillow, his ears pinned back as he took a moment to vent his frustration. He really wanted to tell her as they sat there at the overlook on Olkarion, but every time he tried, he couldn't get the words out. Either she beat him to talking by offering him a piece of dessert or one of the local wildlife would make a noise to distract him.

(Okay, so that was a poor excuse. He knew that. He didn't need Thace to tell him that no less than five times since they arrived back at the Castle of Lions.)

At least he managed to surprise her with one final gift – the book on Galran technology he ordered just for her. The beaming smile on her face was well worth the effort he put in to get a copy printed and bound for her, which was rarely done as digital versions were considered easier to deliver and took up less space. Personally, he thought it was nice to have a few physical copies around.

Other than his inability to tell her the truth about his alias, their date to Olkarion had been fantastic. The food was delicious and conversation flowed as they sat and looked out over the forested valley. It was more perfect than he'd dreamed.

Everything about his future had shifted over the course of the last two months, which he had expected when he agreed to Katie's proposal, and yet...

Keithir rolled over onto his side, contemplating his unexpected friendship with the Green Paladin. A friendship which was steadily growing towards something more.

He slowly exhaled.

That was the reason it was so hard.

He liked her.

A lot.

For more reasons than he could accurately put into words.

And it terrified him, liking someone that much. If he went about things the wrong way, telling the truth about "Keith" could ruin the balance they'd established. It could bring down their whole friendship!

That was why he needed the right moment. It was why he didn't march down and knock on her door to tell her the truth.

 _I don't want to mess this up_. The desperate thought seized him, derailing the rest of his thought process. _But what if I'm already too late?_

* * *

"Pidge, you look beautiful!" Allura gushed as Pidge stepped out of the fitting room.

"You said the same thing about the last fine," Pidge said, twisting to check out her reflection in the mirrors around her. Just like the last five, the dress flowed over her body and down to the floor. The silk-like material was light and the skirt shifted with every movement, while the bodice pressed firm against her, accentuating her slight curves.

Nilani eagerly moved forward to help her arrange the skirt, tutting over the length and altogether simplistic design. "It needs something else. More layers? No, no, that would be too much. Perhaps beading? A lace overlay?" The half-Altean rambled on to her herself, paying no mind to Pidge's put-out expression at the thought of trying on more.

When Nilani invited her down to try on "a couple" of gowns, she'd expected three or four, not the twenty-seven waiting for her once she arrived. And that was after Allura and Lance had to step in to curb Nilani's desire to put her into more elaborate gowns, reminding her that Pidge had requested a simple, more modest style.

Allura cleared her throat. "How do _you_ like it, Pidge?"

"Uh, well..." Pidge tried to focus on her reflection and ignore the way Nilani hovered nearby. It was pretty enough, with wide straps over her shoulders and a scooped neckline that was almost too low for her comfort.

"A no, then," Allura said, recognizing the uncomfortable pause for what it was. She strode over to the rack of gowns as Pidge stammered out excuses, not wanting it to seem like she hated all of the hard work Nilani was doing to accommodate her.

Nilani herself watched the princess with curiosity in her gaze as Allura went through the rack until she found one that met her approval. She carried it over to Pidge and pushed her back into the dressing room, going right along with her to help unlace the back of the one she had on.

"Sometimes you have to be a little more forceful about these things," Allura advised in undertone. "Nilani is a brilliant seamstress, but sometimes she gets so caught up in what she's doing and how she can make it even better. Don't forget, this is all about what _you_ want. If you look at it and you don't like it or if you'll feel uncomfortable wearing it, you won't offend her by telling the truth." She stepped back when the dress was loosened enough for Pidge to slip out of it. "Now tell me, what do you think of this one?"

For a moment, Pidge thought Allura was testing her and she almost turned it away without really looking at it, but the lace turtleneck caught her attention and the more she looked at it, the more she found herself liking it. "I'll try it on."

Allura beamed.

* * *

Daibazaal.

The home world of the Galra.

Pidge was a bundle of nerves as Keithir helped her down from the shuttle and she set foot on Daibazaal for the very first time. There were only a few guards there to meet the pair of them and Shiro, who Keithir picked as their chaperon for the trip. She'd already been told it would be a low-key affair, with few actually knowing the date and time of their visit, so the lack of crowd was an expected thing and helped a little to calm her. At least she wouldn't have a big audience if she messed up.

She held onto Keithir's hand, letting him take the lead while she looked around, mesmerized by the massive, gleaming buildings and the unusual reddish sky. Architecture wasn't really her thing, but that didn't make it any less fascinating to see the stark differences between the more sleek and bright Altean buildings and the sharper edges the Galra were prone to.

They quickly moved into the citadel, escorted by a handful of guards. Keithir was quiet at her side. Actually, he'd been quiet for most of their journey, lost to his thoughts and unusually inattentive.

 _What if he's changed his mind?_

It wasn't the first time that thought crept in to poison her good mood. And just like with the others, Pidge pushed it away. If Keithir had changed his mind, he would tell her. Or she hoped he would. They only had two weeks and three days left until the end of their courtship and then they would make an official announcement of their engagement.

Pidge became hyper aware of how warm Keithir's hand was around her own.

Two more weeks.

She swallowed, glancing up at his face, wondering if he'd realized the same.

Their courtship was coming to an end, bringing their marriage into full focus. She wracked her mind, trying to remember what, if anything, she'd read about Galra engagements. Was there a proposal involved? How was it done? And what about the engagement period? Were there rules or steps to follow for those three months as well, or were they going to be too busy with wedding planning to worry about that? What about-

Keithir gently squeezed her hand. "Is everything okay, Katie?"

"Oh, um, yeah," Pidge lied unconvincingly. "Sorry, I was just thinking about something. Where are we going first?"

"It's not anything interesting, but I thought I'd show you and Shiro where you'll be staying while we're here. You'll share connected rooms. I hope that's alright," Keithir said, raising his voice enough for Shiro to hear as well.

"That sounds perfect. What better way for me to keep an eye on Pidge?" Shiro said teasingly.

Pidge rolled her eyes. "Ha ha."

Shiro took her sarcasm in stride. "Well, that is my job as your chaperon."

Keithir looked amused by their banter. He waited until he was sure they were done before telling them the rest of his plans for the evening. "Mother and father ave invited us to join them for dinner. After that, I thought I'd show you around the citadel, if you'd like."

The spark of anxiety that came up every time Pidge thought about talking to Emperor Zarkon fizzled out with the knowledge that Keithir wanted to give her a tour.

 _But what if-_

Pidge violently beat back her dark thoughts as she squeezed Keithir's hand and smiled up at him. "That sounds great."

* * *

He was going to be in so much trouble if Thace found out what he was doing, but he just wanted a quick moment alone with Katie. They were safe at the citadel; not even Lotor would dare try anything right under Zarkon's nose. (Not that he had to worry about that, as he'd been assured Lotor was off-planet.)

Dinner went smoothly thanks to Shiro, who struck up a quiet conversation with Zarkon regarding security at the wedding. Katie seemed much more relaxed without the Emperor's attention on her and it was a relief to see that she was comfortable talking to the Empress when asked about her current projects. All of that gave him the confidence to do what he'd been meaning to do for weeks.

He couldn't keep waiting for the perfect moment to present itself, so he'd have to create one himself.

There was a balcony he loved to relax at. Well, it was more of a retired crosswalk for the guards, which overlooked a stretch of the inner-city to the east. The view was a spectacular one and the wind was rarely harsh.

"Wow," Katie breathed as she leaned against the rail, gazing out over the capital city.

As much as he wanted to, Keithir didn't allow himself the pleasure of standing back to watch her for long. He walked up next to her, close enough that they were almost touching. "I've always come up here when I wanted to be alone to think. Something about it helps me clear my head. Makes it easier to talk about things."

His heart was pounding in his chest as he turned to meet her eyes. "Katie, there's something I need to tell you."

"Is something wrong?" she asked, looking almost afraid to hear the answer.

Keithir shook his head. "No! No, nothing's wrong. I just..." He paused to take a breath. "I'm-"

"Well now, isn't this a pleasant surprise."

The sound of that voice, thick like too-sweet honey, had Keithir instinctively moving in front of Katie, shielding her from view. He narrowed his eyes as his brother joined them on the balcony. Behind him was his personal servant, who stood back with his head bowed.

"What do you want, Lotor?" Keithir demanded.

Lotor made a show of acting shocked. "Why, I merely saw my dear little brother and his bride-to-be out here all alone and came to say 'hello'. Is that such a crime to you?"

Everything about him was cold and controlled, his voice ringing with a falsely pleasant tone that set Keithir's nerves on edge. Whatever his brother was there for, it certainly wasn't to say "hello".

"Well now you have. You can go now." Keithir didn't care if he was being rude. He wanted Lotor as far away from Katie as possible, as soon as possible.

Lotor tutted softly, whether from the demand or something else. "And leave the two of you alone? As your older brother, it is my duty to escort you back to your chaperon. After all, it would be most _unfortunate_ if anything were to happen to you while you're out here all alone."

Behind him, Katie inhaled sharply at the unspoken threat.

"We can find our own way back," Keithir said, maintaining eye contact for another few seconds.

 _Show no fear._

And then, calmly and dismissively, Keithir turned and ushered Katie away from the balcony, wanting nothing more than to get her back to Shiro and off of Daibazaal. His parents would understand his reasons for cutting their trip short.

He needed to talk to Kolivan. Everything about what just happened felt weird to him.

And since when did Lotor have his personal servant follow him around the citadel?

"Keithir?"

A gentle touch to his arm had him slowing down so Katie wasn't running to keep up with him. "Sorry," he apologized. "I didn't think – He's not supposed to be here. I don't know how he found out we were visiting."

"It is weird," Katie agreed, easily keeping pace with him as they descended a flight of stairs. "Shiro needs to hear about this."

"You can tell him on your way back to Altea."

"You're coming with us, right?"

Keithir didn't hesitate for a second. "Of course I am."

 _I'm not letting you out of my sight._

On impulse, he reached for her hand, threading their fingers together. Katie looked startled by the action, but didn't pull away. Instead, she moved a little closer. And despite everything, a tiny burst of affection settled in Keithir's heart, soothing him.

Whatever Lotor was planning, they'd get through it. Together.


	20. Chapter 20

(So last chapter my line breaks didn't work no matter what I tried. Hopefully they'll work this time.)

 **Chapter 20**

Allura had reached a dead end with her research.

Everything started out so promising! She found a decent stack of books, as well as official documents on the Legend of Oriande, but none of them offered her any insight into what Lotor was searching for. She'd gone through them in careful detail, trying her best to consider every angle, but still there was nothing.

It was starting to look like the Legend of Oriande was just that – a legend.

Allura groaned as she tangled her fingers in her hair, gently tugging at the silky strands. She hated to give up, _loathed_ it, but what choice did she have?

"Darling, is something wrong?"

Allura lifted her head in surprise. "Mother? What are you doing here?"

Alanna smiled back at her daughter, shifting the skirts of her dress as she took a seat at the table. "Shiro mentioned you would be here in the library and asked if I wouldn't mind checking in on you while he's away. He seems to think you will get too lost in your research and forget to take breaks."

Allura flushed from embarrassment, which prompted a delicate laugh from her mother.

"Just like your father," she said fondly. "Tell me, what is it that occupies your mind so strongly? I haven't seen you this devoted to your studies in some time."

"Do you remember the stories you and father used to tell me about Oriande?"

"Of course. You always loved to hear those stories. You requested one every night for a year. Luckily for us, you never minded when we had to repeat one," Alanna said.

Allura hesitate for a moment, unsure of how to proceed. "I... heard about something that led me to believe there was some part of the legend that may be true, but so far... I don't know. I'm starting to think it was all part of an elaborate distraction designed specifically for me, and I fell for it," she confessed, looking down at her tidy notes and final stack of books.

Alanna hummed in thought. She reached across the table and laid her hands over her daughter's. "I think this is something you should talk to your father about. He may just hold the key you need to understand this mystery of yours."

"Do you really think so?" Allura sounded unsure. Even if he was the first to tell her about Oriande, he'd always described it as nothing more than a story. She felt a little foolish going to him just to confirm what she already knew.

At the same time, her mother was giving her an encouraging smile, as though there was something she knew about the subject, but was unable to say it.

"Come with me?" Allura asked, making up her mind.

Alanna nodded.

.

* * *

.

Pidge woke with a start, her heart beating fast, as though she'd just run the invisible maze with Hunk's guidance. She laid in bed and tried to wrap her mind around the most bizarre dream she'd had in a while. (The last one was when she had a fever and involved Lance as a ballerina, tutu and all.)

It started out normally enough:

 _She and Keithir walked through the seemingly endless halls of the Castle of Lions, talking as they went along, though none of the words really seemed important. He was wearing the red jacket she bought him and she was wearing a dress – nothing strange for the two of them._

 _The dream shifted._

 _It was like she blinked and the world changed around them. They were no longer in the halls of the castle, but sitting down at the overlook on Olkarion. There was no one else around. It was just the two of them and the wilderness._

 _Pidge laughed at something Keithir said and gazed up at him, mesmerized by the intense shade of purple that greeted her. His eyes really were beautiful. They slowly leaned into each other and Keithir lifted a hand to gently cup her face, his skin just as pale as her own._

And that was when Pidge woke up.

She laid there for several long minutes, unsure of what to make of it all. Her dream-self had been so convinced that it was Keithir she was with, but it had clearly been _Keith_ she was talking to. It was Keith who she'd...

Pidge groaned and rubbed her eyes, wishing she could forget all about it, but the image just wouldn't go away. She was sure there was a perfectly reasonable explanation for it. Maybe it was because she hadn't seen Keith for a while? Any time not spent working on Rover or with her fellow paladins was spent with Keithir, but she hadn't even seen a glimpse of his servant. Her dream was just her brain's way of telling her she should check in with her new friend.

That had to be it.

But Pidge never got around to seeking out Keith that day.

During breakfast, Shiro made mention that he needed to speak to Kolivan regarding the threat Lotor made while they were on Daibazaal. However subtle it was, it wasn't something that could be ignored. He asked Pidge to recount the encounter one last time, and after that it was all she could think about.

It was strange, to say the least. Why had Lotor approached them at all? Why make a move that would only put them more on edge? Was he _bored?_ Was it all some twisted game to him?

Pidge had no answers to her questions and she absolutely hated it. So she did what she always did and went down to visit the Green Lion and, if she could focus for more than a few seconds at a time, maybe get a little more work done on Rover. She was so close to finishing her drone.

As always, Pidge got lost in her work. Hours flew by without her realizing and it was only when Hunk came to find her that she noticed how much time had gone by.

"Hey, you got Rover working!"

The drone beeped softly and did a quick spin, but hovered steadily by Pidge's side.

Pidge looked up at the sound of his voice. "Well, it's not smashing into walls or floating up to the ceiling anymore, so I'll count that as a win for today."

Hunk watched the drone move around with her and privately thought it was more than just a simple win, but he also knew she wouldn't be happy until it was exactly how she envisioned. "Okay, well, do you and Rover want to come up for dinner? I made this peanut butter cake for afterwards, and I want to know what you think."

Pidge perked up at the sound of a new dessert to try. "Yeah, give me a minute to hook Rover up to charge."

"Sure."

She gestured for Rover to descend and then grasped it with both hands. She flipped a switch to turn it off before beginning the lengthy process of plugging him in to her computer.

"Diagnostics too?" Hunk asked, moving closer for a better look.

"And uploading a new program. Eventually I'm going to make a charging dock, but I've been so focused on everything else that it slipped my mind," Pidge explained. She stepped back and nodded in approval, content that things were going according to plan.

"I could help with that," Hunk volunteered. "I mean, if you want. We could come up with something pretty cool."

Pidge considered it for a moment. "It's been a while since we worked on anything fun together. We'll have to make two charging stations though, if you're sure about helping me."

"Two?"

"Well... I may have gathered a few too many pieces while I was building Rover, and it'd be a shame if I didn't do anything with them, so..." Pidge turned and lifted up a sheet on her desk, revealing a half-built drone. "I thought you'd like one too."

Hunk could already feel the tears beginning to form. "Pidge..."

"Better start thinking of names," Pidge said, right before Hunk gave up on holding back his emotions and swept her up into his arms.

Pidge laughed and let him hug her for as long as he wanted.

.

* * *

.

Shiro sighed as he made his way back up to the room Allura practically lived in since she began her research on Oriande. His meeting with Kolivan had gone about as expected; Keithir had already filled him in and they were trying to reach out to their informant on Daibazaal to warn them, but so far they hadn't had luck getting in contact. With that new worry fresh in his mind, Shiro decided his best course of action was to inform Allura as well and get a another opinion on the mystery that was Lotor.

"Allura?"

"Back here."

Shiro followed the sound of her voice to find her carefully re-shelving a familiar stack of books. "You're putting everything away?"

"I am," Allura responded, turning to him with a smile. "Shiro, I know what Lotor was looking for. I know why we couldn't find it in any book – because it's never been recorded in the stories! And I know now that Lotor will _never_ be able to find out the truth."

She spoke with such conviction that Shiro was taken aback.

Allura walked away from the books and over to him, where she took his prosthetic hand with both of her own. "Oriande is real. My father has been there and he gave me the key to find it for myself. Will you go with me?"

"I..." Shiro hesitated. It wasn't that he didn't want to go. To be honest, he'd follow her wherever she asked him to. But there was something important that he had to tell her first. Something that had been lurking in the back of his mind since his conversation with Lance.

Allura's smile slipped. "Shiro, is everything alright?"

"Everything is fine," he assured her. "There's jut... There's something I need to tell you. It's hard for me to talk about, but you deserve to know."

Allura squeezed his hand.

Shiro took a deep breath and began to tell her everything. How quickly and strongly he'd fallen for Adam. The pleasant times they'd shared as flight partners. The way it hurt to not have his support for the Kerberos Mission. How all of the fighting tore him apart. How when he chose to go to Kerberos anyway, knowing that it meant losing Adam, he felt as though his heart had shattered in a way that would never heal.

"And then I met you. It wasn't immediate, but over time I realized that there is no place I'd rather be than standing by your side. Wherever you need to go, I'll go with you, and if that isn't possible, then I'll support you in whatever way I'm able to. I love you, Allura."

Tears glimmered in her eyes as he finished talking. Shiro barely had time to prepare himself before she launched herself into his arms and held onto him tightly.

"I love you too, Shiro," Allura said, her voice thick with restrained emotion. She pulled back after a moment, reaching up to brush away her tears. "This isn't quite how I imagined it going. I- I had a plan to sweep you off your feet... It's silly, really."

"I don't know, getting romanced by a beautiful princess sounds nice to me," Shiro said. "Though I guess that will have to wait until after we get back from Oriande."

Allura looked delighted. "Then we've no time to waste."

.

* * *

.

It was Blaytz who brought him the information he'd been waiting for. The Nalquodian had been unusually somber as he spoke, his eyes never once leaving the figure of the Galra servant he'd brought back with him. He slept peacefully in the healing pod, the machine doing everything it could to heal the injuries he'd obtained.

"I'm sorry I didn't try to get him out while we were there," Keithir apologized. "If I'd known what Lotor was going to do to him..."

"Your return and attention to detail is what saved him, Prince Keithir. If you'd tried then, things could have been worse than they were," Blaytz said. He reached into one of his pockets and withdrew a small device. "He managed to save this. He asked me to give it to you."

Keithir took the object, which turned out to be an encrypted drive commonly used by the Blade to store and pass along information. "Is this...?"

Blaytz managed the tiniest of smiles. "If I'm right, that's everything you need to find the location of Pidge's missing family. He's been listening in to Lotor's conversations for movements."

Keithir barely remembered to thank Blaytz before he was rushing off to find Kolivan and see for himself what information the drive contained.


	21. Chapter 21

**Edit: 12/15/2018** \- I completely forgot what Oriande looks like while writing this and couldn't find any good screenshots, so I just sort of... created my own version of Oriande.

 **Chapter 21**

Lance wasn't sure what to think when the alert went out. His first panicked thought was that something happened to Shiro and Allura, who'd gone running off together without giving them much of an explanation. (Lance liked to joke that they were finally going off to elope and no amount of eye-rolls from Pidge and Hunk would make him stop.)

He hurried out of his room, tugging on his jacket as he went, and met up with Pidge out in the hallway. "Any clue what's going on?"

"None," she responded tersely. "You don't think Shiro and Allura ran into trouble, do you? I mean, what- _who_ would try and go against the Black Lion, even on her own?"

 _Lotor_ would.

The name hung on the tip of his tongue, heavy and unspoken. He didn't need to say it. Not to Pidge.

"Maybe it's something else. Maybe there's someone who needs our help. Another planet or something," Lance suggested, but his words sounded hollow even to his own ears.

"Either way, we're down one Lion and our leader," Pidge said. "I guess that means we're following your lead this time."

Lance swallowed thickly. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess so."

Pidge nudged him as they walked into the elevator. "Hey, you'll do fine. We've run drills for this and Hunk and I will be right there with you."

The reminder helped a little. Lance took a deep breath as the elevator doors closed and they began to rise up to the bridge. Still, the worry over Shiro and Allura being in trouble lingered, and in fact doubled once they arrived on the bridge to find Coran talking to Kolivan and a handful of other Blades, including Prince Keithir. Hunk was there as well.

"What's going on?" Lance blurted out, unable to wait. "What happened?"

Unexpectedly, it was Kolivan who answered. "We have long suspected that Lotor was working with others to further his goals. If you'll recall, we found that to be the truth after the assassination attempt in the gardens. Since then, we have intensified our search to try and determine who has lent their aid to him, and today we have been given the chance to cut him off from one of them."

"Space pirates," Coran said, his expression dark. "They're a nasty bunch. I'd hate to think what he offered them to earn the support of a ruthless bunch of ruffians like that. They've given King Alfor trouble for years, but to do something like this... Pidge, we believe they have your father and brother."

Pidge gasped sharply, her eyes wide. "Dad and Matt? But why? How... Are you sure?" There was an underlying panic to her voice that had Lance wrapping an arm across her shoulders, offering what comfort he could.

"We had a spy close to Lotor was was recently compromised," Kolivan said calmly. "Thanks to Keithir, he was able to get this information to us, but we do not have long to act. We will divide into two teams; a ground team and a diversionary unit in the air."

Kolivan went on to detail the plan, put together with help from Coran, who, in the absence of Allura, was the most familiar with how the paladins operated.

Keithir would lead a ground team with help from Pidge, using the Green Lion's cloaking to sneak in undetected. They'd also have to fly in slowly to avoid any sensors from picking up on distortions in space. Their main focus was to rescue all prisoners and, if possible, apprehend the ones responsible for their capture.

Hunk and Lance would provide heavy support in their Lions, just in case the pirates tried to flee or attack their own base to stop them. Kolivan had handpicked his best pilots to assist them in the smaller Blade fighters.

"Remember that we will be entering pirate territory. I need everyone to stay alert. Do not go off on your own. Do not take any chances. Understood?" Kolivan waited a moment for his words to sink in and to give them a chance to ask questions. When none came, he said: "We leave immediately."

The members of the Blade of Marmora, with the except of Kolivan, Keithir, and three others, began to disperse. Lance paid them little mind and instead focused on Pidge, who looked as though she could barely believe what was happening.

Hunk joined them, sweeping them both in for a hug and effectively hiding Pidge's face from view.

"I can't believe it," Pidge mumbled into his shirt, her voice thick with tears. "I've spent so long _dreaming_ about this and now it's finally happening. This... This is really happening, right?"

"This is really happening," Hunk reassured her, pulling away to give her a little more breathing room.

Lance was quick to agree. "We're going to get your family back, Pidge. Are you ready?"

Pidge nodded and lifted her chin, her eyes glistening with fresh determination. "Lets do this."

* * *

"What is that? Is that... Is that a white hole?" Shiro gaped at the massive cosmic region before them. "That's the cause of all of this wreckage."

Allura clutched the back of his seat, her eyes wide as she took in the sight as well. "It's _incredible_. The Patrulian Zone has been declared off limits for so long – since before even the war – no one would ever expect to find this here."

"What do you think is causing it?"

Allura furrowed her brow. "Perhaps... Perhaps Oriande itself? Maybe it was created by the Sages as a way to protect their secrets? It could even be that it was here before the Ancient Alteans and they somehow discovered how it works. There's so much about it that I don't know. So much lost to time..." She bit her lower lip. "Can we get any closer?"

"I don't think so. Not unless we want to end up like the rest of those ships," Shiro said. He could feel the Black Lion's unease with their proximity to the white hole, but also a conflicting yearning to move closer, as though she was being called home.

"Maybe not," Allura murmured. She held out her hand and the cuff around her wrist flashed once before a small, triangular stone shimmered into view, much the same was as the paladins could summon their bayards. "Father called this a compass stone. He said that with it, I have everything I need to see past the light and learn the secrets of Oriande for myself. I didn't really understand what he meant at the time, but I see now.

"We have to go through the white hole."

Naturally, Shiro hesitated. The thought of getting closer to the cosmic anomaly went against everything he knew. The very sight of it triggered an instinct to flee – to get as far away as fast as he possibly could. "Allura, are you sure about this?"

"I am," she said with a firm nod. She paused to take a look at him. "You don't have to do this, you know. You could stay here."

"No," Shiro refused. "No, I said I would do this with you. If you say we have to go through, then I believe you."

"Shiro..."

He reached up to cup her face, gently stroking her cheek with his thumb. Allura leaned into the touch, her eyes fluttering shut. They stayed like that for a moment, Allura basking in the warmth of his unshakable support, and Shiro to marvel over how good it felt to be able to reach out and touch her like that, unrestricted by self-imposed limitations.

With great reluctance, Shiro returned his hands to the controls and guided the Black Lion forward, into the white hole. The closer they got to it, the more his heart-rate increased. His hands began to sweat.

And then a calming purr reverberated through him, his Lion's way of calming him down. From her, he felt no fear, no worry about the vortex of space-time they were rapidly approaching. No sense of unease. Only a tranquility and a desire to keep going.

Shiro closed his eyes and pushed the throttle harder, trusting in Allura and his Lion.

The light intensified. It was too bright even with his eyes shut tight. He heard what sounded like Allura calling his name and then...

The light was gone.

Shiro risked opening his eyes and then he gasped at the same time as Allura. A beautiful planet stretched out before them, with great stone pillars and monuments standing out against the plantlife and plentiful rivers.

"It's the temple." Allura's voice was soft with awe. "Shiro, look! That's the Temple of the Sages! That's where we need to go!"

"I don't think the Black Lion is able to go there. She's headed down to the base of of the path all on her own, like she's being drawn to that spot," Shiro said.

Allura didn't look saddened by that fact in the least. "It's the first of the trials. We'll have to walk the path of enlightenment, just like in the legends!"

"I feel like there's more than just 'walking' involved here," Shiro murmured, taking note of the way the steps crumbled against sheer rock-face near the top.

"It wouldn't be a trial if it was easy," Allura teased him. "Worried that you won't be able to keep up?"

Shiro's eyes gleamed as they touched down. That was a challenge he was glad to accept.

* * *

"I have visuals on the base. Activating the Green Lion's camouflage now," Pidge reported, flipping the proper switches to do so. Her hands trembled slightly as she returned them to the controls and she took a deep, steadying breath.

She played Kolivan's instructions over again in her mind.

They would land with the camouflage still active, which would last until they were able to breech security and get inside the base. At which point Hunk and Lance would fly in, faking a frontal assault to lure the pirates out into the open, leaving the ground team to rescue the prisoners being held there before the pirates could realize what was happening.

Simple and to the point. Pidge could appreciate that.

Behind her, the door slid open and Keithir briefly hesitated before walking over to join her in the cockpit. "The others are ready to go the moment we land."

Pidge made a quiet sound to let him know she heard him. For a moment, she thought for sure he'd offer up some encouraging words about how they'd go in and rescue her family and then everything would be okay, but instead he remained silent, his eyes narrowed in concentration as they slowly drew closer to the base.

"I used to think I had some kind of... _understanding_ about the way Lotor's mind works. About what his goals are," Keithir told her, his voice low. "It hasn't always been like this. We got along when we were cubs. I remember looking forward to the days we would get to train together. I guess that was how we bonded.

"Things changed after father set him up with his first colony to look after. It was just another routine part of his training as crown prince, but when he came back her was _different_. I don't know how else to explain it. At first I thought it was just the readjustment to being back home, but..." Keithir paused to gather his thoughts. "Every time Kolivan asks for my opinion, I don't know what to say. I feel like I _should_ know, but I don't. And I need to know, that way I can stop anything like this from happening to anyone else."

Pidge frowned. "It's not your fault, you know. Lotor did all of this on his own. _None_ of us have been able to understand his motives."

"No, I know that, I just..." Keithir huffed in frustration. "I don't know. I'm frustrated with all of this. It feels like every time we start to figure it out, and then he does something to throw us off track and suddenly we're back to knowing nothing."

Pidge reached out and touched his hand, and finally he looked at her instead of staring at the viewing screen. "After everything I've heard about him and what I've seen for myself, we have always known one thing: _everything_ he does has a purpose and it's all for a goal that benefits him above all else," she said slowly. "It seems like every now and then, he does something that doesn't fit in with what we know, and I think that's on purpose. He's always been two steps ahead of us. And that's... That's what has me worried now. I can't help but feel like this is a trap. Why else would he have held them captive for this long?"

"It's not," Keithir said, taking her hand. "Kolivan has had someone watching this area for a while now. At first just to keep an eye on the pirates, but then he heard a rumor that they were being kept here. Now we know for sure thanks to our spy. They're here, Katie. I promise."

Pidge blinked back tears and said no more, instead focusing on guiding the Green Lion in for a landing. However gentle she was about it, they were still likely to garner attention. They'd have to act fast.

"Hunk, Lance, we're landing now. I'll signal you once we're inside," Pidge said, sliding back into paladin-mode as she got up.

Keithir led the way as they met up with the other three members of the Blade and disembarked. They were on high-alert as they made their way to a side entrance, where Pidge hacked into the panel to to allow them entry. It made a soft beeping sound and they were in, quickly and quietly moving down the dimly lit hall.

Pidge signaled her friends the moment they were in and couldn't stop from grinning when a set of roars could be heard outside.

So far, so good.

* * *

Shiro was dripping with sweat by the time they reached the top. He heaved himself over the ledge with one last grunt of exertion and then laid there on the cool stone, fighting to catch his breath. A shadow fell over him and he turned his head to see Allura standing over him with a smile on her face.

"I don't think this trial was meant for humans," he croaked out.

Allura laughed and reached down to help him up. "I think you may be right about that."

Despite every muscle in his body protesting against it, he let her haul him to his feet so they could keep going. If he was lucky, the Black Lion would be able to pick them up once they were done, because he wasn't sure he could make it back down.

Allura seemed content to stand there for a while longer and admire the architecture of the ancient temple. Two tall figures stood guard over the entrance, their stony faces gazing out over the land. Everything gleamed white, untouched by the passage of time.

"It's even more incredible than I dreamed," she whispered. "To stand here, at the birthplace of Altean alchemy is beyond anything I've ever experienced. To think of how few have had this honor..."

Once Shiro caught his breath and his heartbeat slowed enough that it no longer sounded like a rapid drumbeat to his ears, he walked over to join Allura and together they entered the temple.

Pale blue lights lit up along the walls as they made their way through the entrance halls. Allura walked slowly, taking time to admire the carved murals, which depicted ancient Alteans and what appeared to be a massive lion. (Shiro wondered for a moment, if the Ancients worshiped the lion and if it influenced the creation of the Voltron Lions.)

They crossed beneath as archway and the murals ended, placed by statues that were nearly as large as the ones guarding the front. Shiro couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched – being _judged_ – by those sightless eyes. At the very end, one of them was kneeling with their hands cupped in front of them, fully blocking their path to the next room.

"What do we do now?" Shiro asked.

"I'm... not sure," Allura admitted.

Maybe there was a secret door? Or were they supposed to climb it? No, the very idea felt wrong. There had to be something else. A key piece of information that they were missing.

Shiro frowned. Or were they? He turned to Allura. "A key?"

Allura's eyes lit up. "A key! Of course!" She giddily took out the compass stone, which shined the same blue as the lights around them, and reverently presented it to the kneeling statue.

Stone ground against stone as the statue slowly moved, first to accept the key and then to stand aside to let them pass. Allura giggled at the stunned expression on Shiro's face and took his hand, pulling him along so they could move deeper into the temple.

The hall eventually opened up into a large room, at the center of which were two pedestals, not unlike the ones used to pilot the Castle of Lions.

Allura released Shiro's hand as she walked towards it, but she didn't get more than a few steps before the ground beneath their feet began to tremble, causing a fine layer of dust to rain down from above them. At the same time, the door slid shut behind them.

And then the ceiling began to descend.

"Allura!" Shiro shouted in alarm.

Allura nearly turned back to him, certain that together they could muscle the door open and escape, but something else drew her attention back to the pedestals. "Hold on, I know what to do!"

Shiro was helpless to do anything but watch as Allura ran to the center of the room and placed both hands over the pedestals. He swallowed nervously as the ceiling got closer and closer to the top of his head. "Allura...!"

She breathed in and then out.

A bright flash of light lit the room and Shiro threw up an arm to shield his eyes from the intensity. After a moment, the light began to fade. When he was able to see again, he found himself in a strange, open space. Dense, rolling fog covered everything.

"Allura!" he called out, spinning around to search for her.

There was only fog.

On the bright side, he was no longer about to be crushed by a falling ceiling, like in some old Earth action film. On the less-bright side, he appeared to have been transported to a strange space by Altean magic and was stuck there all alone.

There had to be a way out.

"Patience yields focus," he reminded himself.

A low, rumbling growl caught his attention and Shiro slowly turned to face the source of the noise. Somehow, he wasn't surprised to find a massive white lion, easily three times the size of the ones back on Earth, pawing at the ground. What did surprise him was that he could suddenly see a circle of pillars rising out of the fog and Allura kneeling in the center of them, her hands clasped in front of her in prayer.

The lion roared as it turned its gaze on her, and Shiro's blood turned to ice.

He ran forward without thinking, putting himself directly in the lion's path. As it charged, he activated his shield and braced himself for a hard impact.

Darkness greeted him instead, rushing up to render him unconscious.

" _You are a strange little one,"_ murmured an unfamiliar voice. _"You are not one of our descendants, so you cannot learn our secrets. And yet... you have proven yourself worthy. A gift, then, to a brave defender."_

Shiro drifted. He could hear and understand those words, but couldn't react to them. His mind was as foggy as the world around him.

"... _ro! Shiro!"_

Shiro inhaled so fast that he began to cough, jolting up from where he was laying on the ground. Gentle hands helped hold him steady.

"What-? What was-?" he wheezed, cutting himself off as he got a look at where they were.

They were no longer in the strange, foggy place, nor were they even in the temple. He and Allura were back outside at the bottom of the mountain, where the Black Lion landed when they first arrived.

"What happened?" Shiro asked, finding his voice. "The last thing I remember was that lion and then... How did we get back here?"

"It's part of the magic of the temple. You only get one chance to pass or fail the test of the guardian," Allura explained, beaming at him. "It was _incredible_ , wasn't it? I don't feel like I know more than before, but I also do? It's..."

"Strange," Shiro finished for her. "But I don't think... the voice said I couldn't learn the secrets."

Allura's gaze was kind as she reached out and carded her fingers through his hair. "There must be something that they gave you. I doubt your hair would have changed if that wasn't the case. Don't worry," she added at the look of panic in his eyes. "It looks good."

* * *

Pidge heard the whoosh of movement through the air before she saw the weapon, but it was enough to give her time to bring her bayard up to block the strike.

"I've got this!" she barked at Keithir and the other three Galra, as they made to jump in and help. "Go rescue the prisoners!"

She kicked at the legs of her opponent and let her bayard crackle with electricity as she took a warning swipe to get them to back up. She was vaguely aware of Keithir hesitating for a moment longer before he listened to her and headed further in.

Pidge threw herself into the fight, letting all of her anger flow through her. She and the pirate were an even match, trading blow for blow with neither of them landing a solid hit. They had to have some kind of a weakness, but no matter how hard she looked, nothing stood out.

She growled, her temper spiking. "Give me back my brother!"

The pirate misstepped, as though taken by surprise, and Pidge made the best of it by taking a swing at their head, knocking their helmet clean off. She didn't let up either, advancing on them and preparing to deal a more damaging blow, but then golden eyes – devastatingly similar to her own – turned in her direction and she froze.

"Matt?"

He stared up at her. His hair was longer than she'd ever seen it and an unfamiliar scar crossed his left cheek, but he was still Matt. "Pidge?! You're here! In space!" Surprise quickly gave way to fear. "You can't be here! It isn't safe!"

Pidge didn't care how safe it was. It was Matt! He was right there in front of her, safe and _alive_! She sobbed, dropping her bayard as she threw herself into his arms. Matt caught her, holding onto her just as tightly.

"I finally found you!" she whispered through her tears. "I've been looking for so long! They told us you all died on the Kerberos mission, but I knew it wasn't true!"

"I can't believe you're her. How did you get here?" Matt asked, pulling back to take a better look at her.

"It's kind of a long story. I'll tell you on the way back to Altea," Pidge said. "Is dad with you?"

Matt nodded. "Yeah, he's here too, but Pidge, it isn't safe here. You have to go!"

"I'm not going anywhere without you and dad!"

" _Katie_ , listen to me," Matt said, grasping her shoulders. "Those aliens who captured us did something to this base before they left. Dad's been trying his best to find a solution, but we're running out of time. _It is not safe._ "

Pidge frowned, but before she could demand more information, her communication relay crackled to life in her ears and Keithir's voice came through, crisp and clear.

" _Katie, we have a problem. It's the base. The pirate's rigged it to explode."_

"It's a trap," Pidge realized, saying the words at the same time as Keithir.


	22. Chapter 22

Note: I don't know why, but none of my line breaks show up anymore, no matter what I try. And sometimes they appear just fine in the document editor, only to vanish when I upload the chapter. And I give up at this point. If they show up, then yay! If not, I apologize. Not even my old method of a series of periods and dashes work anymore, as the document editor deletes them every time I try.

To read this with proper line breaks, you can also find me over on AO3 under the same username.

(And if you haven't heard about the Kidgezine yet, you should definitely check out the link to it on my profile.)

 **Chapter 22**

Keithir stared hard at the screen in front of him, searching for anything that he recognized that could be used to stop the timer from continuing to tick down. Rorvak, Drenta, and Etran were busy getting a count of the prisoners and helping them prepare for escape.

"I've tried everything I can think of to stop it, but all I've been able to do is slow it down. It resets every time I find a way through."

Keithir glanced at the man next to him. He could only be Katie's father, Sam Holt, as he was the only human around that he'd seen. (Which made him worry, because where was Katie's brother? Wasn't he there as well? Was their intel wrong?)

"Then we'll have to move fast," Keithir said. "Are there more prisoners elsewhere in this base?"

Sam shook his head. "No, everyone is here. Except my son, Matt. He went to check on some of the side entrances where we set up traps in case one of the pirates come back. We had a thought that we could use one of them as leverage, but I'm not sure how well it would have worked."

 _'Not very,'_ Keith privately thought. "That must be who Katie was fighting."

"Katie?" Sam looked startled for a moment, but he quickly shook it off. "Strange, that's my daughters name. I guess it's a small universe after all."

Keithir hummed noncommittally, unsure of how to respond. It felt... well, not _wrong_ to tell him, but more like it wasn't the right time. They didn't need any distractions if they were all going to get out of there in time. He checked in with Katie instead, telling her about the base being rigged to explode.

"It's a trap," he said, hearing her echo his words as he said them. "You were right. Lotor knew we would come here and he set us up."

" _But you were right too! Keithir, Matt's here! He says my dad is too. Do you see him anywhere?"_

Keithir couldn't help but smile at how happy she sounded, despite the very real danger. "Yeah, I have him here with me. Listen, there's nothing we can do to stop the timer from going down. You and Matt should stay at the exit and be ready to help everyone to your Lion. I'm sending Drenta with the first few."

Sam looked concerned as Keithir gestured for his fellow Blade to take their group of five back the way they came in. "Will we be able to get clear in time?"

"Yes, the Green Lion is fast and I doubt a few extra passengers will slow her down," Keithir said.

"So it is true that the Lions of Voltron have been found?" one of the nearby prisoners asked in a hushed voice. "We have heard rumors, but... the rumors, they are true?"

Keithir nodded. "They are."

Around him, the other prisoners began to look hopeful. A low murmur broke out as the news spread and they were all much more eager to listen to Rorvak and Etran as they jointly guided the remaining eight. It was incredible to see the effect Voltron had on people.

"That's everyone, right?" Keithir asked Sam, who nodded. "Then we need to go." He glanced at the timer.

Five doboshes left. They were cutting it close. Too close. And _Sam wasn't moving_.

"They have other bases and I _know_ the data is in here somewhere. If I could just find one coordinate..." Sam frantically searched the terminal, his eyes flickering the the ever-present timer.

There was no time to muse over how how many of Katie's traits he saw in her father – the shared stubborn tenacity, for one – they _had_ to go. Keithir grasped Sam's shoulder. "It's not worth the risk. Look, I know Katie. She's not leaving here without both of us and if we don't leave right now, we're putting everyone at risk."

Again, the name gave Sam pause, but it was also what gave him the motivation to step away from the console. He needed no more urging to hurry along to the exit, though he did glance at Keithir from time-to-time, as though fighting not to ask or say something.

Keithir made no attempt to open conversation with the man, instead reaching out to Katie to give her a head's up. "We're on our way out. Be ready to go the moment we're on board or we might not get clear in time."

There was a low crackle of static and Keithir worried there was something interfering with their communication, but then her voice came through, calm and clear. _"Got it. How long do we have?"_

"Now? Maybe three doboshes," Keithir responded, breaking out into a run as they neared the end of the corridor. "Is everyone else there?"

" _Everyone's settling in. Rorvak's running diagnostics and sending them ahead so the med-bay knows what to prepare for. Mostly malnutrition."_

"Makes sense. They likely only gave them basic sustenance," Keithir muttered with distaste.

" _How... How's my dad?"_

He glanced over to Sam to make sure he was keeping up. He seemed tired, but alright. "He's strong. Stubborn. Kind of reminds me of you."

A beat of silence passed as they rushed outside, making a beeline for the Green Lion. Keithir wondered if he'd overstepped; they were in the middle of a serious and important mission. It was hardly the time for-

" _Just wait until you meet my mom,"_ Katie said with a laugh.

Keithir chuckled. "I'm looking forward to it." He helped Sam up into the Green Lion, not at all surprised when the mouth closed the moment they were inside. He could feel the Lion turn the take off and hoped he could keep balance until they were in the cargo hold. It became a little easier once they were in the air and heading in a straight line.

"I need to scan him too," Rorvak said the moment they stepped into the cargo hold.

Keithir shook his head and directed Sam to the cockpit instead. "Not now."

"But Koliv-"

"It can wait, Rorvak," Keithir said firmly. He knew the Blade was scowling beneath his mask, just as surely as he knew he was going to receive a lecture on following protocol once they returned to the Castle of Lions, but it was all worth it.

The cockpit door slid open to more noise than he was expecting, as Hunk and Lance yelled in excitement over the chaos of small, automated ships zipping through space and opening fire on the Lions and Blade fighters.

Katie was in full-paladin mode as she directed the Green Lion through it all, putting as much distance between them and the base as she could. It seemed to be enough, as a shockwave passed over them and the Lion shuddered, turning at the last minute to witness the dying explosion behind them.

In the air, the small ships went dead, drifting in whatever direction they had previously been moving.

" _So, is that it?"_ Lance asked, sounding almost disappointed.

" _Not everything has to be exciting, you know. Just for once, it's nice for things to go our way,"_ Hunk said.

" _I didn't mean it like that, babe. It just feels too easy."_

Keithir frowned as he stepped up next to Katie. "It is unlike Lotor to devise a plan so simple. There has to be more to it than this."

Katie pressed a few switches, pulling up another readout on her screen. She stared at it for a moment, her lips moving as she quickly processed all of the data. "Wait, synthian nitrate? Why would-?"

Hunk's scream and the sound of a nearby explosion cut her off.

" _ **Hunk**_ _! What's going on? Pidge, tell me what's happening here!"_ Lance ordered.

"Synthian nitrate is an explosive material," Pidge filled him in. "All of the pirate's ships are covered with it! It must have been contained before now, but with their shielding down, it's no longer protected."

" _Bombs,"_ Hunk grunted. _"Perfect. What was that about this being too easy?"_

" _Pidge, get everyone back to the Castle. We'll clear a path for you and catch up once we've taken care of this. I'm sending Regris and Kalin with you. They took some damage already and I don't want to find out how much more they can handle,"_ Lance said. _"Hunk, how's Yellow? Are you two up for this?"_

" _Shields are already repairing. We're ready whenever you are."_

" _Lets go."_

It didn't take them long at all to use their lasers to clear a safe path for the Green Lion to slip through without taking damage, but Katie didn't relax until she was out in clear space with a Blade ship on either side of her. She set a quick scan of their ships to see the extent of their damage and found that, while they were banged up pretty good, they would easily hold together for the duration of their journey back.

The Green Lion purred through their link, encouraging her to stop wasting time and reunite with her family. She could take it from there.

With trembling hands, Katie reached up and removed her helmet, setting it aside.

"Katie?" Sam's voice was quiet and filled with awe as his stared at his youngest child. His baby girl, who was _supposed_ to be safe at home on Earth and _not_ gallivanting around in space, fighting pirates and putting herself in danger.

"Dad!" Katie's voice broke with relief and she couldn't hold herself back any longer. She ran to him, sobbing as he caught her in his arms, hugging her as tightly as he could.

"I'm so glad to see you," Sam told her.

As Matt joined in on the family hug, Keithir silently slipped back into the cargo hold.

"How did you get out here? Where's your mother?" Sam asked.

"It's kind of a long story," Katie mumbled, refusing to let so so soon. She needed to though. It would be difficult to tell them everything with her face planted in the rags her dad wore. She pulled away and rubbed her eyes. "I guess it all started when the Garrison pronounced you dead."

She told them everything.

From her multiple attempts at breaking into Iverson's office in an attempt to uncover the truth, which led to her enrollment as "Pidge Gunderson", to the night Shiro's escape pod crashed and she dragged Lance and Hunk along to help her. How they'd broken Shiro out of quarantine and fled to an abandoned shack out in the desert. How Lance heard a voice calling out to him from the nearby caves, where they found the Blue Lion.

She told them about their arrival on Altea and how Princess Allura had been one of the first to welcome them. The way it felt when she was told she had a connection to the Green Lion, which was nothing in comparison to the feeling of actually bonding with the sentient ship. She told them of the rigorous training they were put through, the strengthening of her friendship with Hunk, Lance, and Shiro, and her newfound one with Allura. She told them about the missions they'd been on together. The friends and allies they made along the way.

Sure, there were a few things she glossed over. All of the dangerous missions. The extent of some of the injuries she and the others sustained over their three years in space. Her sleepless nights spent researching and learning everything she possibly could, pushing past her limits time after time in the hope that she would find something that would lead her to them.

She didn't mention Lotor.

And she said nothing of her engagement.

"It's absolutely incredible, Katie," Sam said once she was finished. "I'm so proud of you, and I'm sure your mother will be too. How is she? Have you spoken to her since you left?"

Katie nodded. "After we arrived on Altea, King Alfor picked an ambassador to sent to Earth and establish communication. It's been slow going, since the Garrison hasn't exactly been eager to announce to the world that aliens exist, but we've been able to get messages home."

"You really haven't been home in three years?" Matt asked incredulously.

"I promised myself I wasn't going back until I found you. It didn't feel right," Katie said. "We're going back to Altea for now. And then there's so much planning and organizing to do... It may be a few more weeks until we can go to Earth."

She hoped they weren't too disappointed. Every year they revamped their plan for how they'd handle things once Sam and Matt were found, but things had changed so much over the course of three short months – they had her engagement to consider and a whole host of other issues. Would they be able to go back to Earth with everything else that was happening? Was it even a good idea with the threat of Lotor hanging over them?

"So what's Altea like?" Sam asked.

"Beautiful," Katie said with a smile. "You're both going to love it."

.

* * *

.

Shiro was waiting for them in the Green Lions' hangar when they arrived, and his reunion with Sam and Matt was as teary as expected. He swept them both in for a hug and only let go when Matt joked: "So who's this old man and what did he do with Shiro?"

Shiro chuckled, reaching up to pick at the tuft of hair that fell over his forehead. "It's the hair, isn't it? I have to say, it's going to take some getting used to."

Katie frowned as she looked at him. Where his hair had still been black before, it had turned entirely white. It wasn't a bad look, just... different. "How did it happen? Where did you and Allura go? We tried to reach you, but no one could get through!"

"I know. I'm sorry about that, but there was something important we had to do," Shiro apologized. "We'll tell everyone over dinner. For now, Sam and Matt need to get looked over with the others. Why don't you and Keithir take them?"

Katie's gaze automatically slid over to Keithir, who was off to the side talking to Kolivan, liking giving him a brief run-down of what happened on their mission. "I'll take them by myself."

Shiro raised an eyebrow, but nodded and didn't press. "Alright. Bring them up to the kitchen once you're done. Allura's having food brought over."

Katie's eyes were still on Keithir as he wrapped up his conversation. _Quiznak_ , she really did need to tell her dad and Matt about him. She had every chance to do that on the flight back. It would have been easy! She could have talked him up a bit first; mentioned how he was the reason she found them.

She bit her lip. He _was_ the reason she found them. Had she thanked him for that?

"Give me a minute, okay?" she said, not waiting around to hear the reply. She jogged over to Keithir, reaching him before he could follow after Kolivan. "I, um... I never thanked you."

"You don't need-"

"Yes, I do," Katie interrupted, shaking her head. "I never would have made it to them in time if it weren't for you. If not for you, I'd still be looking, not knowing for sure if they were alive or..." She swallowed, unable to bring herself to say it.

She'd been _so close_ to losing them forever.

Tears blurred her vision and, on impulse, she threw her arms around his neck and stood on tiptoe to press a kiss to his cheek, whispering: "Thank you, Keithir. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome, Katie," he said, settling his hands on her waist.

They stood there for a moment, both reluctant to move for one reason or another, and then Katie sniffed and released him to rub the tears from her eyes. There had to to be more she could do to show her gratitude. Something better than a simple "thank you".

"Dinner," she blurted out, looking up at him. "We're all having dinner together in the paladin quarter to celebrate. You should join us."

Keithir sighed. "I wish I could. I have plans to have dinner with mother and father tonight and I know they're waiting to hear how things went." He paused, watching her shoulders droop. "Would you be able to have lunch with me tomorrow?"

Maybe that would be better. She'd have time to explain things to her dad and Matt _and_ determine just how much interference Hunk, Lance, and Shiro would have to run until they got more comfortable with the thought of her getting married. After all of the excitement, a nice, quiet lunch with Keithir sounded wonderful.

"I'd love that," Katie told him.

"I'll pick you up from your room at Midday," Keithir said. He broke eye contact when Regris pointedly cleared his throat and gestured for him to hurry it up. He rolled his eyes and deliberately took his time. "I should go. Kolivan has called for a debriefing, which likely means everyone has returned from the mission."

A very loud: _"What the quiznak happened to your hair!?"_ cut across the hangar, as if to prove Keithir's statement and Katie couldn't help but grin.

"What _did_ happen to it?" Keithir wondered out loud.

"He's promised to explain it at dinner. I'll let you know at lunch tomorrow," Katie promised.

They parted soon after, Keithir to follow Regris and Katie to rejoin her friends and family, where Lance was making a fuss about Shiro's new hair color. It took her a few more minutes before she was able to lead her dad and brother towards the med-bay, where the team of Altean medics were waiting.

"So when were you going to tell us about your boyfriend?" Matt asked in a teasing tone.

Sam made a choked sound.

"It's kind of complicated," Katie said. She hesitated, trying to figure out the best way to start. (Maybe not by describing it as "complicated", but it was too late for that.) Leading with "we're engaged" would probably give her poor father a heart attack, but telling them it all started as a way to save Allura wouldn't make sense to either of them.

So she started with Lotor instead, glossing over the potential threat the Galra prince was to the peace of the universe and focusing instead on his desire for Allura, who was very much in love with Shiro.

It was still the truth, just abbreviated so they wouldn't worry about the danger she was in.

By the time they reached the med-bay, Sam and Matt were all caught up on her three-month courtship with Prince Keithir, and while neither of them were happy about it, they were willing to try and accept it.

That was enough for Katie.

.

* * *

.

Keithir was all nerves as he led the way to where he'd arranged lunch for himself and Katie. Not for the first time, he reached down to pat his pocket and reassure himself that he hadn't forgotten to bring the small box he'd specifically picked out for the occasion. From the corner of his eye, he could see Katie glance at him from time to time.

"Is everything alright?" she asked after a few minutes.

Keithir yanked his hand away from his pocket as though he'd been burned. "Everything is fine," he tried to reassure her. The words stuck in his throat, but he still managed to get them out.

Behind them, Regris pretended to clear his throat in order to hide the fact that he was laughing. Keithir shot him a warning glare.

"Okay..." Katie looked between them as though she didn't really believe him.

 _Ancestors_ , he hoped she liked it.

It wasn't much longer before they reached the room he requested for the afternoon. It hadn't been any trouble to reserve it; most people forgot that it even existed, but he felt it better to ensure they wouldn't be interrupted.

"The Memory Chamber?" Katie asked, looking confused.

"It's not just for viewing memories of people," Keithir reminded her as he typed in the appropriate code. The door slid open and he gestured for her to enter first.

His anxiety dipped when she gasped in amazement.

"I thought about arranging lunch out in the garden at first, but that didn't go well for us last time. Shiro reminded me that this room exists," he explained. "I know you'll get to see the real thing soon, but I thought you might like it anyway."

"It's perfect, Keithir," she said, turning to him with a genuine smile.

They left Regris standing guard at the entrance as they walked deeper into the chamber, following along a stone path that wound through grass. The trees and other plantlife were all of Earth varieties. He'd picked the location after careful consideration and by asking Shiro about the area Katie lived before leaving Earth. He'd assured him that Plaht Park would be perfect.

In the shade of one of the largest trees, Keithir had already set up a picnic blanket and a basket of food. Much like their first casual dinner in the Green Lion's hangar, it wasn't anything fancy, but spoke well of the care that had gone into it. He hoped she wouldn't mind that he borrowed her idea.

He didn't have to worry as she giddily settled down on the blanket and, after brushing her hands over the holographic grass, began to fill him in on the adventure Shiro and Allura went on without the rest of them.

"Wait, Oriande is real?" Keithir interrupted.

Katie shrugged, not seeing why it was such a big deal. "I guess. Anyway, they went through the trial and when Shiro woke up, his hair was like that. Allura thinks he must have gained some kind of gift from it, but they haven't been able to figure it out yet."

 _Oriande_.

Keithir's mind whirled with the new information. Even he knew of the stories, but like everyone else had only dismissed it as folklore. "Lotor can _never_ hear about this."

Katie's mood sobered. "Agreed. He'd never stop until he found it if he knew. None of us want to take the chance that he could pass the test."

They changed the subject soon after, with Keithir asking how Matt and Sam were doing, and from there, what their plans were.

"You're going back to Earth, right?"

Katie hesitated. "I'm not sure. I mean, I want to, but with the wedding and all, would we be able to? The Daibazaal council might not like it and with Lotor around..."

"Lotor wouldn't dare do anything to your family or Earth right now. It'd be too much of a risk. And I will handle the council if they try anything," Keithir told her. His hand strayed back to his pocket and that time, he left it there. "I think it would be good for us to go. You were able to come to Daibazaal and spend time there and now I will be able to see your home. I think people will like to hear that."

"It'd definitely give people something to talk about. I think most of them think our engagement is just a rumor," Katie said.

Rumor.

Right, the lack of news after three months probably left most of the universe believing it couldn't possibly be true. An official announcement would clear that up and Keithir knew it would happen any day, but there was something he wanted to do first.

He breathed in deeply and took her hand, hoping he would be able to say the words he'd spent hours rehearsing.

"Three months ago, I told Thace that I wanted to blend the traditions of our people, that this union would be as much for you as it is for me. So far, we've done things according to Galra traditions, though I understand your courtship process has some similarities to ours, just not as strict. Soon, my father will announce to everyone that we will be wed, but there's one thing I want to ask before then."

He slid the box out of his pocket and pressed it into the palm of her hand. By Katie's sharp gasp, she understood what was happening.

"Katie Holt, will you marry me?"

.

* * *

.

Pidge was on cloud nine as she stared at the ring on her finger. It was a simple dark band with a stripe of glowing purple running through the center, but she felt as though she'd never worn anything so beautiful.

" _It's luxite,"_ Keithir had told her. _"It will always be the perfect fit for you."_

The fact that he'd gone out of his way to have a ring specially crafted for her filled her heart with warmth. Nothing could bring her down from that, not even trying to master the dance steps Allura and Lance were showing her for what felt like the fiftieth time.

Okay, maybe that brought her down a little.

"Ow," Lance yelped as she stepped on his foot. Again. "Pidge, are you even paying attention?"

"Sorry!" she apologized.

She must have sounded snappier than she meant to come across, because Allura turned off the music and walked forward with her hands up in a placating gesture. "Alright, why don't we take a break? We've been at this for some time now and it's getting late. Perhaps we should pick it up again tomorrow."

Lance grumbled under his breath as he backed away from Pidge. She didn't bother trying to decipher what he was saying. She really _did_ feel bad for stepping on his feet; he was right, she wasn't paying attention and he was the one whose feet suffered for it.

"Lance, I'm really sorry," she apologized again.

He paused on his way out the door. "Yeah, I know. But if you step on my feet tomorrow, then Allura has to dance with you while I stand by and shout tips."

Allura looked a little put off by the idea, but Pidge grinned. "You've got a deal."

Lance left in a better mood and Allura began to straighten things up so it would all be in order for them when they next practiced.

"Leave it out?" Pidge asked when Allura went to move the music player back to its corner. "I'll put it up once I'm done. I think I want to keep going for a while longer."

"Do you want me to stay and help?"

Pidge shook her head. She just wanted to tackle it on her own for a while. Sometimes it was easier to focus without an audience around to analyze everything she did.

"Well, alright. Don't stay up too late. Tomorrow will be a busy day," Allura advised her.

"I won't be much longer," Pidge said and found that unlike most of the times when she swore she wouldn't stay up all night to deal with a problem, she actually meant it. Still, she didn't blame Allura for giving her a fond, but disbelieving look before bidding her goodnight and leaving her alone.

Pidge checked the time before crossing the room to turn the music back on. _'Just one more hour,'_ she told herself.

She let herself move to the music, using it to try and time her steps. When Lance had described it as being similar to an Earth waltz, he hadn't been wrong, but it was those similarities that constantly threw her off. If only she could reprogram her brain to follow the new steps instead of the ones she was more familiar with. (But that would take time and practice, repeating the movements over and over again until it felt natural, and time wasn't something she had a lot of.)

Pidge frowned and stopped moving. She was doing it _again_ : letting her mind wander and distract her from the task at hand.

"You've almost got it."

Pidge jumped in fright, pivoting to face the intruder. Her face burned from embarrassment when she spotted Keith watching her from the doorway.

"Can I help?" he asked as he crossed the room to her. He held out his hand, giving her the option of whether or not to accept.

Pidge took it and let him guide her into position. He waited until the music started over and then they began to move. His movements were much more fluid than Lance's and he didn't complain when she stepped on his foot, patiently helping her.

She tried.

She really did.

Repeating the steps over and over again in her mind.

But nothing helped.

"Relax," Keith told her, pulling her in a little closer. "Don't think about it so much, just follow my lead. You can do this."

"You're really good at this," Pidge complimented.

"I've had years to practice. You're doing well for someone who just started. I don't think you'll have anything to worry about if you keep this up."

Pidge looked up in surprise. (And gods, had his eyes always been that color? So much like Keithir's that she forgot for a moment that it was Keith she was talking to.) "You really think so?"

Keith nodded and murmured for her to slow spin away and then back in, easily picking up the steps where they left off. "See? You learn fast."

"I've had good teachers," Pidge whispered back. Somehow it felt wrong to speak at a normal volume, as if there was a spell cast over them that she was afraid of breaking. And why break it when it felt so natural, so comfortable.

They continued their dance without saying another word and as the final chords of music ebbed away to silence, her heart leaped in joy.

"I did it! I didn't step on your feet again!" she said excitedly.

Keith chuckled. "You did it," he agreed, leaning in.

Pidge closed her eyes, rising on tiptoe to meet him halfway as he kissed her, only to come to her senses seconds later, guilt ripping through her at how much she _enjoyed-_

"Katie?" He looked confused as she shoved him away.

"No." She shook her head as she backed away. Her eyes filled with tears as she imagined Keithir's expression when he learned of what transpired between them. The betrayal. She choked back a sob as she turned and ran, leaving him standing there alone and in shock.

What had they done?


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Keithir did everything he could think of to try and find Katie so they could talk; so he could finally tell her the truth about his lineage and apologize for hiding it for so long. He should have told her the truth from the start, just as Shiro, Thace, and Ulaz all repeatedly encouraged him to do.

He'd messed up everything and he doubted there was any way to fix it, but that wasn't going to stop him from trying.

The first day he brushed off her absence as the Castle of Lions preparing for takeoff. Everyone was busy running around, excited for the journey to Earth, so it was natural that Katie was swept up in that as well. He and the rest of the Blade of Marmora were also busy, contacting outposts along their flight path and ensuring that the right members were up-to-date on what was happening, as well as working with working with the Altean security team to determine what the weakest points of the Castle of Lions were while they were in flight.

The next day was "liftoff day", as they set off for Earth. The Castle emptied of all personnel who didn't wish to make the journey, which should have made it easier to bump into her, but again, no Katie. He grasped at the reasoning that she was spending time with her family.

On the third day he did everything he could to try and find her, hanging around near her hangar, her rooms, and (briefly) the training floor. Keithir even went out of his way to pop by Hunk's kitchen during a time he _knew_ they normally shared dinner.

No Katie.

He did, however, find Shiro, who asked if anything was wrong. Keithir made a half-hearted excuse and fled back to his room, not wanting to admit to the man just how badly he messed up. Shiro had trusted him to tell her the truth on his own and he failed to do that.

He knew it was (yet another) mistake, but once he got tired of moping around in his room, he took to wandering the halls as "Keith". As he walked, he recited what he would say to Katie once he found her, repeating the words over and over again in his head.

Keith heard footsteps before he saw a figure in green spring across the hall in front of him. "Katie?" he asked, too quietly for her to hear even if she was paying attention. He ran forward to try and confirm that it was Katie who he saw and not one of the few Alteans who remained on the Castle, and by the time he rounded the corner, the figure was slowing to turn down the next hall.

His heart leaped in his chest. It was Katie!

Keith hurried along, desperate to reach her before she could once again slip away. His footsteps were light, almost silent, enabling him to reach her without her knowing he was there up until his hand closed around her wrist. "Katie!"

She flinched, jerking her hand from his grip as she spun and backed away, her expression morphing from fear to anger. "I don't want to talk to you," she hissed.

"Katie, I'm-!"

"No," Katie cut him off and turned her back to him. "I don't have time for this. Go back and tell the rest of the Blade that Lotor is here. I'm going ahead to check out his ship, but everyone else needs to be warned."

Keith's blood turned to ice at the mention of Lotor's name and hearing Katie's plan made him even colder. "You can't go alone," he said, ready to follow her no matter what. The fact that Lotor had managed to sneak on board was concerning, but someone would soon discover his presence, if the Castle's sensors hadn't already informed them.

Keeping Katie safe was more important.

"I don't have time for this!"

"Katie," Keith said, stubbornly grabbing her hand again and holding tight. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. You have every right to be mad. You have every right to demand I never speak to you again. But _please_ , don't go onto Lotor's ship alone. It's too dangerous for anyone. If not me, then at least wait and find someone else to go with you."

Katie looked at their joined hands and then slowly back at him, her fury rising so swiftly that he thought she'd insist on going alone regardless of his concerns. But then she closed her eyes and breathed out, trying to get her temper under control.

"Fine," she agreed through gritted teeth. "But don't touch me."

Keith released her hand and stepped back, obediently giving her space. "I promise I won't. Thank you, Katie."

She didn't say another word as she led the way down the hall, taking a left at the next turn. Not once did she look back to make sure he was following her.

Keith tried not to let it hurt too much. He kept his distance, close enough to help if there was trouble, but far enough for her to be comfortable. She could hate him all she wanted, but he refused to let Lotor cause her any more harm.

.

* * *

.

"I can't believe we're really going home," Lance said as he laid in the bed he shared with Hunk. He listened to his boyfriend putter around the room, putting things away before finally joining him for cuddles.

Lance loved lazy pajama days.

"Everyone's going to be so surprised. I can't wait to see mom and dad. And I'll finally be able to thank your sister for giving them my messages!" Hunk said.

"Ugh, yeah. I totally owe Veronica for that. Do you think I should bring her something shiny?" Lance asked.

"Nah, we can do better than that," Hunk shifted his arm so he could pull Lance closer. "What if... What if I make a big feast for our families? Nothing brings people together better than good food, after all! I could make everyone's favorites!"

"Garlic knots?" Lance asked hopefully.

Hunk chuckled and kissed Lance's cheek. "It's at the top of my list, babe."

Lance basked in the affection, enjoying every second hat they were able to cuddle in bed with no interruptions and no worries. In a few hours, they would be so busy that it was unlikely they would have a moment alone and he intended to take full advantage of the free time they had on the journey home.

"Can I help cook?"

"Nothing would make me happier," Hunk replied.

A beeping sound prevented their conversation from going any further and Lance groaned in disappointment.

So much for lazy pajama day.

Hunk sighed as he tried to stretch his hand over to the bedside table without making Lance get up. "Allura wouldn't call us if it wasn't important. Hey, um, babe? Could you...?"

Grumbling under his breath, Lance left the comfort of Hunk's arms to fetch his phone and find out what was so important. He settled back once he had it in his hands, and turned it so Hunk could also see the screen.

 _Lotor is on board. Be on high alert._

"Quiznak," Lance swore and hit the call button, barely able to hold back his flow of words until it connected. "Allura, what's going on? Why's Lotor on the Castle?"

"Better question, _how_ did he get on board?" Hunk spoke up.

Allura's tired face flickered on screen and it took her a moment to answer. "I'm afraid I don't know the answer to either of your questions. We believe he docked immediately after Blaytz left in his ship, taking advantage of the open door and our lessened security. Kolivan has been informed and has stationed a guard outside of the room Lotor is using, so he shouldn't be a problem."

"Not a problem?" Lance repeated. "Since when is he not a problem?!"

"Lance, calm down." The screen shifted as Shiro turned the camera towards himself instead. "We don't like this either, but yelling about it won't solve any problems. Have either of you heard from Pidge? I've been trying to contact her, but she's not answering."

Hunk and Lance exchanged worried glances.

"Well, no. Not recently. The last time I saw her was breakfast," Hunk said slowly. "Maybe she's down in her hangar, working on Rover some more? You know how she gets when she's focused on something. I could go look, if you want."

"We've already checked," Shiro said.

"That's not all," Allura said as she moved in close to Shiro so she would also be in frame. "Kolivan reports that Keithir is missing as well. Apparently he snuck out."

"Then they must be together," Hunk said, trying to stay optimistic. Lotor had been on board for so little time! It wasn't possible that he'd done something to them, especially when it would be so obvious that he was to blame!

Right?

"Just stay alert. We don't know why Lotor is here or what he wants. Shiro and I will keep looking for Pidge and Keithir, but having everyone search for them right now will draw unwanted attention," Allura said.

Lance frowned. "What about her tracking beacon? I mean, unless Pidge hacked into it to cover her tracks because she doesn't want to be found. Again."

"That's our next step," Shiro assured him. "We'll keep you both updated. Hopefully we're worrying for nothing, but we can't be too careful."

Hunk and Lance wished them good luck and ended the call. They tried to salvage what they could of their lazy pajama day, but it was no use when neither of them could sit still and enjoy it.

Lance was the first to roll out of bed and begin changing into clothing more appropriate for walking around the Castle. "I know Shiro said not to go looking, but maybe she's with her family."

"It's possible," Hunk agreed.

At least it was something to do, rather than sitting idly by and going crazy imagining horrible scenarios. Like, what if Pidge had been kidnapped? Or was shot out of one of the airlocks? What if (and Hunk felt awful just for thinking it) Lotor and Keithir had been working together the whole time?

Yeah, helping with the search, even if it meant going against Allura's instructions, sounded like the best option.

.

* * *

.

Katie swore as the cockpit came to life with an audible hum the moment they stepped inside. She rushed to the controls, forgetting that the majority of Galra ships only responded to those with Galra blood, and Lotor's ship was likely to be the same. Predictably, no matter what she tried, nothing happened.

Keith was right there with her a moment later, but although his attempts were recognized by the system, they went ignored as the ship lifted off and shot free of the still-open dock door. He frowned, trying every trick he knew to get the ship to stop, but an outside force overrode everything he did. He glanced at Katie to see if she was having any luck, in time to see her remove a chip from the emergency beacon around her wrist and plug it into the console.

"Well now," a voice purred through the speakers, causing Keith and Katie to step back in alarm. Above them, the image of Lotor smugly smirked down at them. "I will admit, I had doubts as to whether or not you would both walk into such as _obvious_ trap, but, well, you two do have a history of doing exactly that."

"You won't get away with this, Lotor," Katie spat. "We will find a way out of this."

Lotor looked amused by her confidence. "Perhaps you would if you had any of your little friends around. I doubt they'll notice that either of you are gone until it's too late. And if you think you'll be able to hack your way out of this problem, paladin, you are mistaken. This encryption is the same as the one controlling the bomb where I was keeping your family. Your father couldn't outwit it and neither will you."

Katie was never one to back down from a challenge in her skill set, no matter how impossible it seemed. Before she could stubbornly move closer to the console for another try, Keith reached out and grasped her shoulder, holding her in place.

"Why are you doing this? You know everyone will suspect your involvement, so what do you have to gain from this?" he demanded.

"At last I will be rid of the biggest obstacles to my plans. After this, there will be no hope of ever forming Voltron. There will be nothing in the universe that can stop me. It hardly matters that your precious paladins and Blade of Marmora will blame me for your disappearance. Their word means nothing if they don't have proof, but you were already well aware of that fact, weren't you, _little brother?_ "

Fire raged in Keith's veins following Lotor's words.

How dare he!

"Brother?" Katie repeated in confusion. She turned to Keith, her brow furrowed.

"My, my, you mean you didn't know?" Lotor feigned surprise. "How unfortunate that you had to find out in such a way. If only your betrothed had been more _honest_ with you." He smirked, enjoying the opportunity to drive a wedge between them, and didn't give them any time to try and recover. "Such a pity that you don't have much time left. I would love to hear my brother's explanation for this, but I daresay you'll be spending that time to, ah... 'find a way out of this', as you said."

Keith wanted nothing more than to ignore Lotor in favor of looking at Katie to see her reaction, and, more importantly, giving her the explanation she deserved, but the more Lotor talked, the more he gave away. If they were going to survive, he had to keep his brother talking for as long as possible.

"What do you mean, we don't have much time left? What have you done, Lotor?"

"Simply killing you would be too easy. After all of the headaches you've caused me, you deserve to suffer before you perish. My ship will travel to the nearest star, where it will go into orbit and slowly be pulled in by it's gravitational field. What will kill you first, I wonder? Will it be the failure of the onboard life support? Perhaps the radiation and heat shields will be the first to fail. I wish I could stay to see it happen, but alas, this is only one part of a much bigger plan."

"Lotor, wait!"

The feed cut out, giving them no further opportunities to question him. It was just Keith and Katie and Lotor's ship, on a collision course with a star and no way to correct their course.

"He called you brother," Katie said after a moment.

Keith took a deep breath. "Yes."

There was a pause as Katie stared at him, her gaze hard and unreadable. Keith could only imagine the fury she felt at being lied to for so long, made worse by the fact that it was Lotor who revealed the truth.

"Were you planning on telling me?" she asked.

"Yes," Keith said without hesitation. "There were so many times I wanted to tell you, but then we were interrupted. Or because... because I was too afraid. And then I messed up my last chance to tell you what I should have told you from the start: I am Prince Keithir."

"I see." Katie's throat felt tight as she forced herself to speak.

She wanted to scream. To break down and cry.

How had everything gone so wrong, so fast?

Katie breathed in and out, struggling to get her emotions under control. She needed to focus on the most pressing matter first: getting off of Lotor's ship. Anything else could be dealt with later.

She could feel Keith's – no, _Keithir's_ – eyes on her as she stepped forward and unplugged her chip from the console, replacing it in her tracking bracelet. She checked the crystal underneath and, as she suspected, it was no longer glowing. Lotor must have found a way to completely cut off any outside contact.

Still, her bracelet wasn't completely useless. She passed her hand over the top of it, activating a small, holographic display. Using the data she collected while Lotor was talking, she pulled up a map of the ship, and carefully studied the layout.

Where was the best place to start?

Perhaps the engine room. If she couldn't change course from the cockpit, maybe she could stop the ship from moving at all instead. He'd likely prepared for that too, but she still needed to check. There were also the airlocks and places where escape pods were meant to be docked, though they would need the proper gear before ejecting themselves into space.

"I wonder what he's keeping in the cargo hold," Keith mused.

Katie's gaze slid to what he was looking at, noting that it'd been put into lockdown. What reason would Lotor have for trying to shut them out of there, unless he was hiding something that would be useful? She'd have to be smart about it. It could take _hours_ for her to hack into it with the equipment she had on hand and those were hours they likely didn't have.

Though maybe there was another way.

"How do you feel about crawling through the ventilation?" she asked.


	24. Chapter 24

Have you heard about the Kidgezine? ( tumblr. kidgezine. com) - if the link doesn't show up, it's also on my profile

If not, you should definitely check it out. I wrote a cute little fic for it!

* * *

 **Chapter 24**

Crawling through vents was never a comfortable task, but theirs was made worse by the awkward atmosphere between them. Katie honestly didn't know how she felt about the revelation that had been dumped on her. She hadn't had time to stop and think about it. She didn't want to take the chance that her feelings of frustration and anger would blind her. All she really knew was what had to be done in order for them to survive the trap that they'd gone sprinting into.

The trap _she'd_ gone sprinting into, giving Keith little choice but to follow.

He'd tried to get her to listen then, but she refused. Maybe if she had slowed down and let him talk, they wouldn't be flying through space to their death and stuck navigating their way through the ventilation in order to get inside the cargo hold.

Katie swallowed, checking her map before making a right. _'He must be so mad.'_

No.

Focus.

She needed to focus. Apologies could wait until they were safe. They needed to investigate the cargo hold and find out why it was under lockdown. If it was just a ruse, then she needed to get to the engine room to see if she could manually stop the ship from there. And after that...

"Are you mad?"

Katie took a moment to try and compile her thoughts, unsure of how to answer. "I was. I am. I'm mad at you for not telling me sooner. I'm mad at myself for not seeing it before now. I'm mad that I had to find out the truth from _Lotor_ , of all people. But..." She paused and took a deep breath. "But I know what it's like to hide something from the people around you and be too afraid of what they'll say when you tell them the truth. So I guess, what I'm trying to say is that once we get out of here, I'd be willing to listen to what you have to say."

"Okay," Keith said, his voice thick with relief. "I promise, Katie, once we're safe, I'll tell you everything."

.

* * *

.

"Katie's missing and you didn't tell us?!" Matt rounded on Shiro the moment the other man walked through the door.

Hunk and Lance guiltily sank down into the couch. Maybe going to Sam and Matt actually _wasn't_ the best idea. It seemed like an obvious place to find Pidge, but if they thought that, then it stood to reason that Shiro did as well and had already looked into it.

At least Sam had remained calm through their explanation of what was happening. They weren't sure what they'd do if it turned out all of the Holts shared Pidge's temper.

Shiro sighed as Allura and Kolivan entered the room behind him. "Prince Keithir is also missing. Coran is checking the security feed now to see where they've gone, but it could take a while. We're assuming that wherever they are, they're together."

Matt crossed his arms over his chest. "Why would they be missing, Shiro? What haven't you told us?"

Allura stepped forward, her body language and tone placating. "Please understand that we did not wish to overwhelm you within your first few days out of that horrible place. It's clear that we have underestimated Lotor and given him exactly what he wanted when we left the safety of Altea, but this also may be the best chance he's ever given us to find out what he wants. He cannot move aboard this ship without someone's knowledge and that limits what damage he can do."

"Lotor?" Sam mumured. "He's the one who was holding us captive?"

Kolivan nodded. "Rest assured that you will be kept safe. As Princess Allura said, we have him under watch at all times. However, we cannot assume he has not already planned for this. We know that he is working with an unknown number of others, who likely have instructions on what to do whether or not they hear from him. We must remain vigilant."

" _Princess, can you hear me?"_ Coran's voice came through Allura's earrings, allowing everyone to hear.

"I hear you, Coran. Did you find them?" Allura asked.

" _I did, but I'm afraid it doesn't look good. The last the camera's picked up of them, they met up and boarded Prince Lotor's ship!"_

Shiro looked relieved. "Then we know where they are. Lets go get them."

" _Yes, well, I'm afraid that's not possible. The ship is no longer docked. A few ticks after they boarded, it took off all on its own! I'm attempting to map its trajectory now, but they could be anywhere. I'm sorry, Shiro."_

"Keep looking for them, Coran, and let us know they moment you find something," Allura instructed.

"Can't we stop and and look for them?" Hunk asked. "We have the Lions, and Blue can scan a wide area for them. And what about the Green Lion? She's connected to Pidge! She'd be able to find her, wouldn't she?"

Allura looked apologetic. "I wish we could stop, but the Castle of Lions is known to be headed to Earth for diplomatic reasons. If we delay our arrival, we'll have to explain why. I doubt it would go over well if the reason is because a paladin and the younger prince of Daibazaal stole Prince Lotor's ship and flew off somewhere. And trust me, that is _exactly_ how Lotor will try and spin it."

"We can't just sit here and do nothing!" Matt protested. "Katie spent three years trying to find us. Now it's our turn to look for her!"

Sam rose from the couch and placed a hand on Matt's shoulder, standing in solidarity with his son. "What can we do to help?"

"The two of you and Shiro will join Coran on the bridge," Allura quickly decided. "You can use the Castle's scanners to aid him in searching. Lance, Hunk, you'll come with me. We're going down to the Lions. Kolivan, could you and the Blade run interference with Lotor? The less he knows about our actions, the better."

Plans made, they all split to tackle the task at hand.

.

* * *

.

Keithir kicked through the gate with as much force as he could muster, pleased when it buckled from his first kick and then fell free with the second, clanging to the ground. He slid through the opening, landing lightly on his feet and shifting form as quickly as he could. It didn't take long for his eyesight to adjust to the dim red lighting of the cargo hold, giving him time to visually search for any threats as his hearing returned and sharpened.

"It looks clear," he called up to Katie. He spotted her legs dangling through the opening, which gave him time to prepare to catch her and ease her way down. He held onto her just long enough for her to regain her footing and then stepped away to give her space.

"Thank you," Katie said, glancing up and then doing a double take. She could just barely make out the outline of his fluffy ears in the darkness, and while she knew Keith and Keithir were one and the same, it was still startling to see proof of that.

She had _so many questions,_ but all of them would have to wait.

"Do you see anything interesting?" she asked.

"Nothing except a whole lot of crates," Keithir responded. "But... do you hear that?"

Katie strained her ears, but couldn't pick up anything unusual, just a low hum that she assumed was the power running through the ship. "No, but your hearing is probably better than mine. What does it sound like?"

Keithir frowned. "It's like a whisper, but not. I don't know how to describe it. Whatever Lotor is hiding in here, it's... _familiar_ somehow. It doesn't feel dangerous, whatever it is."

Katie wasn't sure she was willing to take that risk when she could barely see more than a foot or two in front of her. The faint glow of the light source, whatever it was, just wasn't enough for her. But what else could they do? "Be careful, Keithir."

He nodded and off they went, navigating slowly around the stacks of crates, piled high to form a maze of walls. Every now and then, Keithir would look back to make sure Katie was still with him and visibly relaxed when he saw she was.

As Katie's eyes began to adjust to the lighting (or was it just getting brighter?), she helped with the search, keeping a look out for any movement. No matter how hard she looked, all she could see were those crates. "You don't think it's in one of these, do you?" she asked.

"I hope not." Keithir shuddered at the thought of having to search through them one at a time. There had to be hundreds of them!

"Do you still hear the whisper?"

Keithir nodded. "We're getting closer. It's strange though. It isn't louder than it was before, there's just this feeling that we're almost there."

Katie frowned.

Just what was Lotor keeping on his ship that Keithir could hear, but she couldn't? Was it some kind of technology developed to lure in Galra? Maybe that was why Lotor wanted it destroyed, so it could never be used against him.

The low red light grew brighter and brighter, and Katie knew they were getting close to the source. The moment they turned around the next stack of crates, they would be able to clearly see what Lotor was hiding.

Katie could feel her heartbeat pulsing in her chest.

In front of her, Keithir stilled as he turned the corner, stopping dead in his tracks.

Her feet carried her forward, one step at a time, until she was standing next to him. She gasped at what was there, her eyes widening with shock. And then a burst of hope swelled within her.

The Red Lion sat before them, surrounded by a barrier that had served as their source of light.

.

* * *

.

"So, quick question, why are _you_ going with us while Shiro's going to the bridge?" Lance asked. "N-not that we don't want you with us! It's just normally the other way around, y'know?"

Allura smiled. "I learned a few things while I was in Oriande and want to test them out. If it works, it could give us the advantage we need to find them."

Lance brightened at the prospect of getting to see Altean "magic", as he'd taken to calling it.

"What's your plan?" Hunk asked curiously.

"Actually, it's _your_ plan, Hunk," Allura said. "We may not be able to stop the Castle, but we can take the Lions out to scan for them ourselves. We'll send all of the data straight to Coran and the others for them to look into. But first, I'm going to try and talk to the Green Lion. If I can communicate with her, she should be able to tell me where Pidge is at."

The three of them entered the Green Lion's hangar, where Hunk and Lance stood back to give Allura room to work.

Allura stopped at the Green Lion's left paw and placed her hand on the warm metal. The markings on her cheeks began to glow as she closed her eyes and cleared her mind, reaching out with her energy to try and strengthen the slight connection she shared with all of the Lions.

There was a brush of curiosity against her consciousness, poking at her to see what she wanted. Allura let the feeling wash over her, broadcasting her intent.

And then it withdrew.

Allura frantically chased it, trying to coax it back, but it was no use. The Green Lion shut herself away with a force that rang confusion through the bond shared by the Lions.

"But she's your paladin!" Allura cried out in frustration. She opened her eyes and the glow faded from her markings. "We're trying to help her! Don't you want that?"

The Green Lion sat silent and unmoving.

Allura slowly removed her hand, a little lost and confused. She'd been so sure that communicating with the Lion had been the right choice. She _had_ to know Pidge was in trouble! So why? Why wasn't she trying to help?

Unless she couldn't.

But what was strong enough to block Pidge's bond?

Allura took a deep breath and turned back to Hunk and Lance, trying not to let her failure drag her down. She had to remember that her abilities were still new and she had so much to learn. "Right. Hunk, could you go to the Yellow Lion and keep trying to talk with Green? She may open up more to you. And Lance, will you go to Blue? We will be using her sonar to amplify our scans."

"What about you? Where are you going?" Hunk asked.

"I'm going to the Black Lion. There's one last thing I want to try."

.

* * *

.

Kolivan was not having a good day.

First, Keithir sneaked out of his room and onto Lotor's ship, which spirited away him and Katie. (Which was a disaster all on its own.) That left him with no option but to contact the Emperor and Empress to inform them of what had happened and assure them that they were doing everything they could to locate the missing prince and Voltron paladin. _Then_ he goes to check on the Blade he assigned to guard Lotor, only to find her missing from her post, and in her place was a Blade he didn't recognize.

But Kolivan was smart.

He pretended like he didn't notice the switch, relaying instructions to her as he normally would before carrying on. There was one more thing he had to take care of before he could rejoin the others on the bridge and update them on the new development.

The fact that the Blade of Marmora had been so quietly infiltrated was deeply unsettling. He couldn't be sure how or when it happened, or whether or not any of its members were involved. Kolivan would have to tread carefully until he knew for sure.

He would also need help from those with his full trust.

Kolivan went to Thace and Ulaz.

"Have you found him?" Thace asked, stepping aside to let Kolivan into their quarters.

Ulaz, who had been pacing, stopped to listen to what news their leader had for them.

"We have not yet located the prince." Kolivan told them everything he knew about the situation so far, and the theories presented by Shiro and Princess Allura. Then he had to tell them the other news. "There is something else, as well. I requested for Ilyxa to stand guard over Lotor, but when I stopped to check in, she was not the one there. I believe Lotor did not come here alone."

Thace and Ulaz exchanged troubled looks.

"What do you need us to do?" Ulaz asked.

"For now, we will let them believe that their ploy had gone unnoticed. Ulaz, I'd like you to find Ilyxa. I want to know what happened to her. Thace, subtly keep an eye on them, but don't let them know you're there. Use the cameras if you need to. I instructed our impostor to keep Lotor in his room no matter what, but I hardly expect her to follow through with that," Kolivan said. "Report your usual activities over our comms, but if you learn anything new, it would be best to come directly to me. I will be on the bridge."

He paused, looking over Thace and Ulaz for a moment. He knew how much Keithir's safety meant to them. The cub was just as much their son as he was the Emperor's and Empress's. "We will find him. Keithir is resourceful and strong, and he has the Green Paladin with him. Together, I believe they can overcome any challenge they face."

His words had the intended effect. Thace straightened up, his expression determined, and Ulaz looked ready to take on anything. Kolivan nodded to them and left, secure in the knowledge that they would do as he asked. And in return, he would do his best to ease their worry.

They would find the prince.

They would stop Lotor.

Kolivan arrived on the bridge in time to see Shiro stand up, his cheeks glowing brightly, as the Black Lion roared past the windows, shortly followed by Blue.

"Allura," Shiro breathed. His expression was one of pure awe as he watched his Lion fly.

Coran gaped at what he was seeing. "But how can that be? She's never been able to pilot any of the Lions before!"

"I can feel her," Shiro said, pressed one hand against his heart. "Both of them. It's... indescribable." He couldn't keep himself from grinning, his eyes full of adoration for the Altean princess.

"Maybe it's that Oriande thing you told us about?" Matt suggested. "Your markings are glowing."

"They are." Shiro didn't look as though he was paying attention to what was being said anymore, caught up in his newfound connection to Allura.

Coran cleared his throat as he turned back to his work. "We've got scans from the Lions, incoming!"

Shiro snapped out of his daze to help out, but despite the seriousness of what they were doing, continued to grin giddily. And when Allura, Lance, and Hunk rejoined them sometime later, he intercepted her with a kiss, which she eagerly responded to.

"I could _feel_ you," Shiro told her in a hushed voice. "Allura, that was-"

"Incredible," she agreed, equally as excited as he was. "I can't believe it actually worked! Were you able to find anything from the data we collected?"

"Nothing yet, Princess," Coran reported.

Allura reluctantly separated from Shiro. They had work to do.

.

* * *

.

They had a chance!

Katie stumbled forward, picking up speed until she was sprinting toward the Red Lion. She slid to a stop at the barrier, tentatively placing her hand on the surface. It crackled beneath her palm, but didn't lash out to harm her.

"I know I'm not your paladin, but will you help us?" she asked, gazing up at the large, mechanical cat.

There was no response.

Katie would have to take a different approach. She knew what it felt like to communicate with a Lion. With Green, it came as easy as breathing, but sometimes when she concentrated, she could pick up on the smallest hint from one of the others. And while it only happened when she was touching Green, she hoped she could reach Red regardless.

After all, Red and Green were partners. If anyone who wasn't Red's paladin could get through to the Lion, it would be her.

Katie closed her eyes and concentrated on broadcasting her thoughts.

 _'Please. We need help. We will die if we stay!'_

A tear slid down Katie's cheek. "Please," she repeated in desperation.

The barrier began to fall.

Katie's eyes flew open and she took a step back.

She wasn't the one who got the Red Lion to lower her barrier.

It was Keithir.

Katie looked at him with wide eyes as the Red Lion stood and bowed to Keithir with a rumbling purr, staring at him with glowing yellow eyes. The Lion gently nudged his outstretched hand and then moved back to open her mouth, beckoning him inside.

"The voice was her," Keithir said, his voice soft. "I can hear her. She's been calling to me this whole time."

A shiver ran down Katie's spine.

Keithir was the missing paladin. Her partner, like Hunk and Lance were to each other. After so many years of wondering, there he was, and she couldn't even stop to celebrate.

 _'Later,'_ she reminded herself. There was so much they had to save for later, what was one more thing? All that mattered at that moment was getting in the Red Lion and getting off of Lotor's ship before it was too late.

Keithir snapped out of his own daze and led the way inside. Once he was seated in the cockpit, the Red Lion was finally able to break free of her prison. She whirled around, whipping her tail through the crates with reckless glee, and released a furious roar. Keithir was smirking as he used his Lion's heat ray to melt through the hull of Lotor's ship, making a bigger hole than was absolutely necessary.

Triumphantly, they sped away, little more than a red blur as they raced to catch up with the Castle of Lions.


	25. Chapter 25

Pre-orders for the Kidgezine are still up and will be until March 15! (tumblr. kidgezine. com)

* * *

 **Chapter 25**

Katie quietly stood behind Keithir, one hand gripping the back of his chair, as the Red Lion sped through space faster than she'd ever been able to go in the Green Lion. She could hardly believe she was there in the cockpit of the missing Lion and that _Keithir_ was the paladin they'd been searching for.

 _Keithir was her partner._

The right arm of Voltron, to mirror her left.

A shiver ran down her spine as she thought about the unexpected turn of events. What did it mean for them? She and Keithir were getting married because the Daibazaal council wanted to strengthen their alliance, but Keithir's role as the Red Paladin gave them exactly that. Would the council still wish for a wedding? Or would they be asked to break it off?

And which one of those did Katie want?

She watched Keithir get a feel for the controls, running his hands over the knobs and switches. By the subtle flickers of emotion on his face, she could only guess that he was figuring out how to communicate with his Lion. She knew from experience that was tricky to determine what they were trying to convey, so she stayed quiet so he could concentrate.

After a few minutes, the Red Lion began to slow.

"What? No, don't do that!" Keithir protested, reaching for the throttle to try and speed up again. "Come on!"

Red deliberately slowed more.

Keithir scowled as he sat back in his seat and glared at the controls.

Katie wondered if she should ask what was going on or wait until he told her. He seemed to be in some sort of mental disagreement with Red, which wasn't an altogether uncommon occurrence with the Lions, especially considering how new their bond was.

He took a moment to calm himself after his small outburst and then turned to Katie. "I promised you an explanation."

"You did," Katie agreed. Her heartbeat quickened in her chest as all of her questions came rushing back. Where should she start?

Keithir answered that for her.

"What I told you the very first time we spoke – about being half human – that was true," he told her. "My mom was a member of the Blade of Marmora. She was sent undercover to help find and protect the Lions from anyone who wanted to use them for harm. The group she infiltrated was one determined to overthrow Emperor Zarkon. They never liked that he took an Altean wife. Said that it weakened the empire to have her as Empress and that having Lotor as prince was a threat to the Galra way of life.

"So when they tracked down one of the Lions, she did everything she could to try and keep it a secret. She attacked the others who were scouting the area with her and destroyed their ships, but not before one of them critically damaged hers. She crashed on the planet and that was where she met my father."

"She crashed on Earth... the Blue Lion!" Katie realized.

Keithir nodded. "She managed to send a message to Kolivan about what happened, but refused a rescue shuttle. She stayed to continue protecting the Lion. And then she fell in love."

"So how did you end up as a prince? Your parents..." Katie trailed off.

"There were others who came looking for the scouting party and when they found her, they weren't so forgiving." Keithir looked away and clenched his jaw. "My mom gave her life to protect the Lion and the two people who mattered most to her.

"When he didn't hear from her again, Kolivan traveled to Earth to find out what happened. He found me instead. I didn't know I could shift until I was almost ten, so for most of my childhood I looked like this." He gestured to his current form. "My dad knew I wouldn't have a life on Earth, so he asked Kolivan to take me. I would have been exclusively raised by the Blade of Marmora, except Kolivan knew the Emperor and Empress wanted a second cub, so they compromised."

Katie said nothing for a moment, taking the time to process what she'd learned.

Keithir was adopted, which explained his lack of resemblance to Zarkon and Honerva. And while it was surprising that the Galra would accept a prince not of royal blood, she could faintly remember reading something about a challenge that could be issued whenever a new emperor was to be crowned. Bloodlines weren't an all-important factor to the Galra; a strong leader was.

"Do you... do you ever talk to him? Your human dad?" Katie asked.

"Twice a deca-phoeb. We video call on our birthdays. Thace and Ulaz helped me set up a special line just for that," Keithir said with a soft smile. "We can't always get a clear connection, but it's something."

"You should visit him while we're on Earth. I bet he'd like that," Katie suggested.

Keithir chuckled. "You know, I haven't even told him that I'll be there. He's going to be so surprised."

His father wouldn't be the only one. Katie realized with dawning horror that she hadn't exactly gotten around to sending a message to her mother. "Oh no," she groaned. "Mom's going to be so mad at me."

They met each others eyes and broke out into laughter. And from that, Katie could feel a spark of _something_. An emotion that wasn't her own. A burgeoning connection formed between them.

There was a flicker of guilt there and she wasn't sure which of them it originated from.

"I'm sorry I didn't give you the chance to explain earlier," Katie apologized.

"What? Katie, that's not..." Keithir struggled to get his thoughts together, taken aback by the apology. He stood up and took her hands, keeping her attention solely on him. "Katie, you were right to be mad. The whole reason I went to find you that night was to tell you the truth, and I completely messed it up. I never should have kissed you like that. It wasn't right."

Katie looked up at him, taking in the sincerity in his voice and expression. She didn't need the subtle nudge from her Lion in order to forgive him. "I think we've both made mistakes, but they're not so big that we can't heal and move on. I know that whatever the future brings, whatever Lotor has waiting for us when we reach the Castle, I still want to face it with you."

The Red Lion purred in satisfaction and sped up once again.

A smile bloomed across Keithir's face. "Together," he agreed.

* * *

In the end, they couldn't find the slightest hint to where Lotor's ship had gone. No amount of calculations or re-examining the security footage was enough to point them in a clear direction. They had to admit defeat as they flew past Pluto's orbital path and made contact with the Galaxy Garrison on Earth.

"What are we going to tell mom?" Matt worried as he paced on the bridge. There was little else for him to do and if he tried to sit still, he would drive himself crazy.

He knew he should calm down, but after three years of little hope of escape, he thought he deserved to have his whole family together and safe. How could he possibly go home without Pidge, after she refused to do so without him? All that mattered was finding her.

"We'll tell her the truth," Sam said from where he sat. "That Katie is missing and we're doing everything we can to find her. The real question is, how much will we tell the Garrison?"

Matt looked around the room. Hunk and Lance were still seated at their stations, slumped in defeat. Kolivan stood against a far wall, silent unless one of his subordinates arrived to speak with him. Shiro stood with Allura and Coran at the helm.

"We could tell the Garrison that Pidge and Keithir took on a mission along the way, and we haven't heard back from them yet," Shiro said.

Allura frowned. "While it is believable, they are expecting someone there to represent Daibazaal. If he truly did leave on a mission, he would have appointed someone to take his place."

There was a moment of silence.

"Okay, this might sound like a really dumb idea. Like, _really_ dumb. But what if we use Lotor as the representative?" Lance suggested. He was met with noisy protest from nearly everyone in the room, but Allura looked thoughtful rather than outright dismissive.

"It's not a _bad_ idea," she murmured.

Shiro turned to stare at her in shock. "You're not really considering this, are you? Allura, you know Lotor can't be trusted! He knows Pidge and Keithir are on his ship and not away on mission. He'd never go along with any of our plans."

"I know, which is why we must plan this carefully," Allura said. "As much as I loathe to get him involved, I would feel better if he was someplace we can all keep an eye on him. I believe that he still thinks he can use me to get whatever it is that he wants. If he thinks there's still a chance for that, he won't risk turning me against him. Kolivan, you have more experience in matters like this than any of us. What do you suggest?"

Kolivan stepped forward to properly address the room. "We will let Lotor believe that is is his idea to join you. Much of our plan up until now relies on Lotor believing that he has the upper hand and we will continue to reinforce that belief."

"How will we do that?" Sam asked.

"By letting him know we are aware of their disappearance, I believe Lotor will then come to us. He will offer to take Keithir's place, to act the part of the flawless prince, as he always has. We will let him. It must be done with reluctance-" ("No problem there," Hunk grumbled.) "-or else he will suspect that something is amiss."

Shiro crossed his arms over his chest. "A lot of this relies on predicting what his next move is, but that's something we've always struggled with. How can you be so sure that this will work?"

"Because it has already been set in motion. I gave Thace the order fifteen doboshes ago and he reports Lotor has already begun to make his move," Kolivan said calmly.

Allura opened her mouth to argue that he should have said something sooner, but snapped it shut instead. They didn't have time to spare on bickering among themselves at the moment, but she _would_ be having words with him later.

She breathed in deeply. "This will not be easy for us, but I believe we can get through it. Be diplomatic. Don't let Lotor bait you into losing your temper."

Taking a moment to look around, Allura began to formulate a plan. For the most part, they would have to wing it, but there were a few things they could do to sway the odds in their favor; to buy more time until Keithir and Pidge returned. "I know what we need to do."

* * *

The closer they got to Earth, the more nervous Keithir began to feel. He wasn't sure if it was his own or Katie's or if their emotions were mixing together to become even stronger. Adding to that, Red's delight at finally being free bled over to him, no matter how much he tried to keep distant until he could adjust to her constant presence.

It was almost too much.

He watched Katie from the corner of his eye, wondering how she was faring with it all. She'd just been reunited with her family, only to be torn away from them again. He couldn't help but feel like he was partly to blame.

"I'm sorry I got you involved in this," he said.

Katie made a confused sound. "More apologies?"

"Lotor never would have targeted you if it wasn't for me." He frowned when she shook her head. "It's the truth, Katie."

"No, it isn't. I put a target on my back the moment I asked to take Allura's place. And honestly, I wouldn't change that for anything in the universe," Katie said, leaving no room for argument."The fact that he kept the Red Lion hidden proves that he only sees me and the others as a threat. You heard what he said earlier."

Keithir knew she had a good point, but couldn't shake his reasoning that he'd only escalated it. At the same time...

"I wish you weren't put in danger like this, but I am glad you're here," he admitted. "I don't know what I would have done if you weren't."

Katie's gaze softened. "I know it sounds crazy, but I'm glad we went through this together. As much as we don't understand what Lotor wants, he seems to underestimate us time and time again. If he only had one threat to think about, it would be easier for him, but that's no longer the case. Maybe that's why it's taken us so long, because up until now he's only had to worry about the Blade or the Paladins and now we're working together. Now there are individuals collaborating against him."

"You've been thinking about this for a while," Keithir guessed.

"A little. That thought came about while I was working on trying to make sense of of his recent actions. We've proposed so many hypothetical's lately that I think it's clouding our view. I figured if we start over from what we know for certain, maybe we can get a clearer picture," Katie said.

"Makes sense," Keithir agreed. "What do you need from me?"

Katie eagerly passed her hand over her bracelet, bringing up the screen from earlier, and with a few practiced swipes revealed the data she'd carefully gathered. "I thought about compiling it into a timeline at first, but then I found that there's a lot I can only guess at chronologically. So instead I put everything in its own little block and drew lines if there was a connection."

"It's colorful," Keithir noted with some amusement. He thought it was rather cute, though he was sure she had some logical reason for it.

"Color-coded and tagged for easier reference," Katie said proudly. "You can see that there are a lot of things that connect together, but I do have a few outliers." She quickly highlighted the ones she was talking about and zoomed in so Keithir could see them for himself.

Lotor's insistence that he marry Allura was there, as was the attack on the Altean satellite. The unexpected alliance with the pirates who held her family captive. Shiro's first prosthetic arm. (Added on the same day as the pirates, interestingly enough.) Pidge had already added the Red Lion to that list. And the other...

"Oriande?" Keithir asked in confusion. "Lotor is looking for Oriande?"

"He's the reason Allura and Shiro went looking for it. I never told you that?"

Keithir shook his head. "I had wondered what inspired them to go look, but..."

That was strange.

The timing was strange.

Everything about it.

How convenient was it that Shiro and Allura heard of Oriande around the same time that the Blade learned the location of Sam and Matt Holt? Keithir found it hard to believe that it was only coincidence. But how were they connected?

Was Oriande a test, meant to show Lotor who the traitor was? Was it just a distraction, to split the group apart and lessen their strength? Or maybe it had been a trap, and Lotor hoped whoever went would perish in the white hole?

Keithir didn't know how Katie could stand to compile everything without driving herself crazy with theories, but it was yet another thing he admired her for.

Still, there was one connection and he was surprised she didn't see it.

"Princess Allura is the connection," he told her. "I don't know why it's specifically her, but everything he's done lately revolves around her. It could go back even further than we know."

Katie stared hard at the screen. "If that's true, then Allura's in more danger than any of us. And we still don't know why!"

"Maybe we never will. I'm not sure I really want to," Keithir said honestly. "What we need to focus on is a way to stop him. I think I know a way to do that, but I'll need your help."

Katie looked away from the screen and met his eyes unflinchingly. "What's your plan?"

* * *

Allura stood tall and plastered the most pleasant smile she could muster on her face. Commander Iverson had proven to be surprisingly welcoming as he personally greeted the Castle of Lions and offered a tour of Garrison property. She had no illusions that he was only doing it because she and Lotor were the visiting royalty, but she appreciated it never-the-less.

At least it meant she didn't have to hold a steady conversation with Lotor.

What was that thing Shiro liked to say? Something about patience and focusing? She tried to keep that in mind whenever she felt her ire spike, as well as the fact that her plan to keep Lotor distracted was working.

And when all of that stopped helping, she thought back to the moment they landed and left the Castle. Of the pure joy in Lance's voice when he spotted his sister. Of Hunk, already crying as Lance dragged him along to see her. She remembered a woman shoving her way past Garrison officials to run into Sam's arms. It had been heartwarming to witness.

Allura smiled to herself.

"I'm glad she meets your approval, Princess." Iverson's rough voice jolted her from her thoughts. "The IGF Atlas is the culmination of everything we've learned so far from the technology that you've allowed us to have. Perhaps she isn't as impressive as your Castle, but we'll get there in time."

There was a gleam in his eyes that spoke of pride for all that they'd accomplished so far.

"I look forward to the day when she is ready to take to the stars," Allura said warmly. "If there is anything you'd like my advice on while I'm here, please don't hesitate to ask."

"I may have a few engineers who'd love to pick your brain, but that can wait for another day," Iverson said.

And so, it was back to their tour.

Allura tuned out the Commander's chatter once again, her mind straying to thoughts of Keithir and Pidge and why they hadn't heard anything from them yet. Shiro and Coran had remained on the Castle for the express purpose of continuing their search, but so far had maintained radio silence. Allura couldn't help but worry.

She wished Shiro had joined her on the ground. She knew her whole plan of keeping Lotor distracted meant he couldn't find out about the Altean markings on Shiro's face, but she would have felt much better if he was by her side. At least she had Kolivan and Thace with her, as they had tagged along as her protection and to keep an eye on the nameless pretender who had taken the place of a true member of the Blade of Marmora.

And then she felt it.

A rippling of activity across her recent bond with the Black Lion. A wave of concern from Shiro. A flurry of excitement from all of the Lions.

Allura abruptly stopped and turned to look at the Castle of Lions just in time to witness the Green Lion shooting up into the sky. She watched the Lion until she faded from sight, her heart thumping loudly in her chest.

She glanced back at Lotor to see his lips pressed in a thin line and his eyes narrowed as he also stared up at the sky.

" _Princess, the Green Lion!"_

"I saw her, Coran," Allura said. "Have you found anything? Do you think she can sense Pidge?"

Coran hesitated. _"There is something, but... it can't be! We've been looking for so long!"_

A shiver ran down her spine. Allura raised her eyes back to the sky, waiting. Kolivan moved closer to her, every muscle tense as he tried to prepare for whatever was coming.

Allura blinked and there was a spot of red in the distance. She watched it closely. Was it just her imagination?

No, it was getting closer.

Her breath lodged in her throat. Everything but the sound of her heartbeat faded away as she watched the unmistakable form of the Red Lion descend with Green following closely behind. As the Lion opened her mouth, all sound returned to Allura with the strength of her roar.

Iverson muttered uneasily and Lotor appeared almost paralyzed, unmoving as Red landed heavily on the ground in front of them. Green flew overhead and set down behind them with a low growl.

Coran and Shiro were both shouting so loudly in her ears that Allura had no choice but to turn off her earrings.

The Red Lion bowed her head and opened her mouth, letting Keithir and Pidge step out into the bright sunlight. Keithir's mouth was set into a hard scowl, his eyes dark with promised retribution, and Pidge's expression wasn't far off from that.

"Brother!" Lotor sounded as though the word pained him to say. "How good to see-"

"Save it, Lotor!" Keithir snapped.

"You can't talk yourself out of this. Not this time," Pidge added.

Lotor frowned. "I haven't the faintest idea what the two of you are talking about. I merely wished to visit Earth for myself. The two of you are the ones who stole my ship and vanished without a trace!"

Iverson looked taken aback by the new information. "Now wait just a minute, you told me that the two of them took on a mission on the way here!"

"I did, and I apologize for not being truthful," Allura said soothingly. "If you would give Prince Keithir and Pidge a moment to explain, I'm sure we can clear everything up."

"We didn't steal Lotor's ship," Pidge said.

"Lies," Lotor said dismissively.

Pidge fixed him with a hard glare. "We didn't steal anything. We saw that Lotor's ship was docked on the Castle and got curious, so we boarded it to find him."

That _was_ a lie, Allura noted. More likely the two sneaked on board to investigate.

"The ship took off on its own while we were inside," Keithir picked up the story. "No matter what we tried, we couldn't get it to stop or turn around. It was on autopilot and headed straight into a star, but you already knew about all of this, don't you, _brother_."

There was a flicker of ugly rage across Lotor's face, but it lasted only a split second before he schooled his features into something more neutral. "I know we have our differences, but for you to blindly accuse me of trying to kill you is ridiculous. Why would I ever want such a thing?"

Pidge smirked and held out her wrist. She waved her hand over the bracelet she wore, pulling up a video of Lotor.

" _At last I will be rid of the biggest obstacles to my plans. After this, there will be no hope of ever forming Voltron. There will be nothing in the universe that can stop me. It hardly matters that your precious paladins and Blade of Marmora will blame me for your disappearances. Their word means nothing if they don't have proof..."_

Pidge paused it there. "I think they have all of the proof they need."

Lotor's facade crumbled with his fury. "You cannot do this to me! I am the Crown Prince of Daibazaal!"

"And while aboard the Castle of Lions, you are under my jurisdiction and Altean law," Allura reminded him. "You will be held in a cell while we investigate these claims against you. Kolivan, if you would?"

Kolivan inclined his head towards her and stepped forward, but Lotor backed away looking for a way out.

"Acxa, it's time!" he said, turning to the nameless pretender for help. Unfortunately for him, Thace was already a step ahead and had his blade pressed to her throat, keeping her in place.

Helplessly, Lotor looked to Allura. "You can't do this to me! We were meant to marry! We could have ruled the universe together!"

"I would never marry a monster like you," Allura said, watching calmly as Kolivan bound Lotor's hands behind his back. Her gaze slid to Thace, who was a bit more gentle as he did the same to Lotor's associate. "Take them both back to the Castle and put them in separate cells. I will join you shortly."

As they left, Allura turned her earrings back on, not surprised at all to hear Coran frantically trying to reach her. "Coran," she said, interrupting whatever he was saying. "I need you to get in touch with Emperor Zarkon and Empress Honerva. Get a call set up at their earliest convenience, but no sooner than one varga. I will explain everything once I get back."

" _Understood, princess."_

Allura took a moment to breathe and then turned to Iverson with an apologetic smile. "I'm truly sorry for all of this. I promise that all of this will be explained to you, but right now there are other things I must take care of."

Without waiting for a response, she made her way over to Keithir and Pidge.

"I can't believe it. Is it really over?" Pidge asked, sounding faint.

Allura nodded. "You have visual and audio evidence of what he tried to do. No one will be able to deny that."

"He had the Red Lion this whole time."

Allura blinked, unsure if she'd heard that correctly. She had assumed they'd just been close enough that the Red Lion could sense that there was a paladin in danger, but to hear that Lotor had dared to keep one of the Lions hidden from them...

"That was why I could never find her like I did the others. I doubt I could have even if we did know who her paladin is," Allura realized.

"Speaking of," Pidge said as she looked up at Keithir with a tiny grin. She took his hand and squeezed gently.

"Oh," Allura breathed out as everything clicked into place. The younger prince was a paladin – the missing piece they'd been looking for. "Well that's...I am glad that there is something good that came from all of this. Welcome to the team, Prince Keithir."

"Is it awful that I kind of want to thank Lotor for trapping us on his ship and trying to kill us? If not for that, we never would have found her," Pidge said cheekily.

Her words got Keithir to crack a smile. "He'd hate that."

Allura let herself relax as the two joked, taking a moment to let her stress ebb away. There was still a lot she had to do, but for a moment she could revel in their safe return and the fact that _finally_ , all of the Lions were together again.


	26. Chapter 26

**Note** : There is one more chapter after this one. Since it's a short one, it will be posted tomorrow! (Also, keep an eye out at the end of that one for news about what I'm working on next.)

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* * *

 **Chapter 26**

Allura crossed her arms over her chest as she stared at the half-Galra woman sitting in one of their nicer holding cells. So far she'd been nothing but cooperative with them, raising no fuss as Kolivan questioned her and being, as far as they could tell, truthful with her answers.

"Are you certain this is wise?" Allura asked.

"Wise or not, she has asked to speak with you," Kolivan replied. He hesitated and then said: "I do not see harm in it."

Allura went in, unsure of what to expect from Acxa. The half-Galra woman warily looked up as Allura sat down across from her.

"You wanted to speak with me?"

"I want to tell you everything that I know," Acxa said, her voice hoarse from hours of talking to Kolivan. "You should be the first to hear of Lotor's plans for you."

Allura repressed a shudder. She knew she needed to hear it, however much she knew she wouldn't like what Acxa had to say. "I know that he wanted to marry me and expected I would go along with his idea of ruling the universe."

Acxa inclined her head. "He became obsessed with the idea in the end. He believed that with you by his side and the power of Oriande, he could rule everything. He said it was the way things should be."

"Power of Oriande... I don't understand what sort of power he expected to find there. The sages believed in peace. Their knowledge was related to giving life, not taking it," Allura said, realizing a moment too late that she may have given away more then she intended. There was an easy fix for that. "At least, that's what the legends say."

"Lotor thought there was something more. Something hidden." Acxa sighed, her eyes tired as she met Allura's gaze. "He never trusted us with all of his plans, but I've stood by his side for years and have heard more than he meant for me to. He never talked about it in great detail, but I know he was looking for a power source greater than anything the universe has seen."

Allura frowned. "And he thought he could find it in Oriande?"

"He thought it was the cause for the war between Daibazaal and Altea, ten-thousand years ago. Or else led to the end of it. Either way, he said it was hidden away in Oriande, so no one could use it."

"And where do I fit in with all of this?"

"You would be the key to open the door."

Allura took a moment to mull over Acxa's words. While it was clear that the other woman wasn't completely sure how it all linked together, it was enough for her.

She could remember Lotor being fascinated with the war when they were younger. Back then he'd expressed bewilderment over how two civilizations who were such great allies could turn on each other. His solemn vow that he would never let such a thing happen once he was emperor. Those peaceful days when they had few responsibilities and were able to be themselves...

Allure missed that Lotor. The one who had been her friend.

But he had changed. She'd known that for some time, and with recent events she knew there was no chance of redemption for him. The fond memories they once shared were tainted.

"Princess Allura?"

"Apologies," Allura said, pasting on a smile. "Thank you for telling me all of this, Acxa. It has been most insightful." She stood up to leave, pausing to look back only when Acxa spoke again.

"He hasn't always been like this."

Allura's heart went out to her. "I know. That's the worst part, isn't it?"

Acxa's broken expression remained with Allura for the rest of the day.

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* * *

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Keithir hadn't been able to sleep well after everything that happened. He spent two nights in bed, staring at the ceiling and running through all of the sleep techniques he could think of. He counted to one hundred. He counted backwards from one hundred. He closed his eyes and tried to meditate. He even tried to ask Red if there was anything she could do to help.

Nothing worked.

He would sleep for a few hours, wake up, and then struggle to fall back asleep for thirty minutes, only to repeat the process a few hours later. He had to catch naps during the day while he was meant to be bonding with his Lion. Twice he'd dozed off while someone was trying to talk to him.

By the third night, he'd fallen back on his habit of wandering the halls by himself, though after everything that had happened he no longer felt comfortable doing so in his human form. There was no safety in it, as they'd hoped. Somehow, Lotor knew about his ability to shift forms all along.

He let his mind drift as he walked through the quiet halls. It wasn't so late that there was no one around, but the few servants he passed just nodded to him and carried on their way.

His parents would be arriving in a few days, along with representatives from their allies who wanted a firsthand account of Lotor's trial. Earth had been chosen as the perfect neutral ground for it, despite the best efforts of the Daibazaal council to have their prince returned home. No one else wanted to risk Lotor finding his way out of imprisonment. Not even Zarkon and Honerva.

Keithir felt sick whenever he thought of seeing his parents. Lotor was their son; their firstborn. However much bad he'd done, they couldn't be happy with the way things had gone.

He looked up and realized he'd walked all the way down to the Red Lion. A reassuring purr rumbled through their bond, along with a sort of smugness that left Keithir confused until he heard light footsteps approaching.

Katie.

"You can't sleep either?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Haven't been able to since we got back. I'm surprised you're not working on something."

"I can't focus on anything right now," Katie admitted. "I thought I would feel relieved once we had concrete proof against him, you know? And it's not that I'm not glad that we finally do, it's just... I don't know. It's hard to put it into words."

Keithir knew how. "Because it isn't over. Not yet."

There was still time for Lotor to slip his way free, and that unspoken fear lingered in the back of all of their minds. During the day when there were things to do and everyone was awake, it was easy to push those thoughts aside, but at night with fewer distractions, it could creep in, even if they weren't directly thinking about it.

"We should do something fun," Katie said after a minute or two.

"Do you have something in mind?"

"Well, _I_ may be grounded from taking Greenie out for fun, but _you_ are not," she said, grinning up at him.

Red's eyes lit up at the suggestion and she lowered her head, urging him to agree. He could feel her anticipation at getting to fly freely, as well as the slightest hint of mischief, as though she was planning something and wouldn't tell him until it was happening.

Between Katie and Red, it was easy to agree. And if anyone asked why they went out, he figured he could just say it was a bonding activity. (That was a thing they did, right?)

He pretended not to notice Katie overriding security clearance on the hangar door and then they were off, zipping out into the darkening sky. He hoped that if anyone saw them, they wouldn't immediately report it to Allura, or worse, Kolivan. It would be nice if he could spend a little bit of time with Katie, without being in danger or interrupted by anyone.

"Do you always go joyriding in your Lion for fun?" Keithir asked.

"Only when I can't focus on anything else," Katie replied. "I have to admit, I have an ulterior motive for wanting to do this. I think you'll like it."

Keithir glanced at her, his curiosity piqued. Whatever she was planning, his Lion was obviously in on it. "Do I get a hint?"

Katie shook her head. "Sorry, but that would ruin the surprise."

A surprise.

For him.

His stomach swooped with a mixture of joy and astonishment. If there was ever a sign of proof that Katie was moving past her anger, that was it. And maybe that was another piece to his inability to sleep properly; the worry that Katie still harbored resentment towards him for lying.

Some of what he felt must have leaked through their bond, because Katie rested her left hand on top of his right and gave him a reassuring smile, but Keithir didn't notice that. His eyes were on the familiar dark band around her finger.

"You're still wearing the ring," he said, his mouth dry.

Katie lifted her hand and fondly rubbed her thumb over the smooth metal. "When you asked me to marry you, was it because you wanted to or because you thought you needed to? Because... Because when I said 'yes', that was for me. I said yes, because I wanted to marry you. I still do."

Pure ecstasy swelled in his chest at her words.

Katie wanted to marry him, just as much as he wanted to marry her. He could feel it. Her side of the bond was open for once, letting her emotions flow through their bond.

All Keithir could think about was how much he wanted to kiss her. It would be the perfect moment to give in to his desires. _Their_ desires.

He raised his eyes to meet hers.

"I think we're here," Katie whispered.

Disappointment swept through Keithir as Katie closed off her side of the bond and turned away to see where Red had landed. It hadn't been a long journey at all. And as he looked around, all he could see was the same desert and plateaus that were near the Galaxy Garrison. What was so special about where they were?

 _Down,_ Red guided him.

He leaned forward for a better look. At Red's feet was a small, wooden house, with a single tree out in the yard. There was a light on in one of the windows.

"What is this place?" Keithir asked.

"You helped me reunite with my family. I figured it was only right if I did the same for you."

Keithir's lips parted in surprise. He watched as the porch light cut on just before the door opened and a man with dark hair stepped out onto the porch, staring up at the Lion with wide eyes. "Dad," he whispered, already feeling the sting of tears in his eyes.

The next minute was a blur to him as he hurried from the cockpit, his feet kicking through a thin layer of dry sand and rock as he made his way to the house. He stopped at the bottom step to stare up at the man he'd on;y ever seen through fuzzy, lagging video.

There was a pause as they took each other in, and then they moved in for a hug at the same time, meeting halfway. Keithir clung to his dad, holding on tightly.

Katie stood back and let them have their moment, though it wasn't too long before Keithir turned to find her, a bright smile on his face, and waved her over to join them.

"Dad, this is Katie," Keithir introduced. "Katie, this is my dad, Travis Hawkins."

Katie smiled politely and shook his hand. For a moment, she considered excusing herself to go back to the Red Lion and let them catch up, but neither of them gave her a chance to go through with it.

"Come on in, you two. It gets a bit chilly out here after dark." Travis opened the door for them, reaching down in time to grab the collar of a massive wolf-like dog before it could get far. "Heel, Kosmo!"

Katie could only stare in shock. The dog was almost as tall as she was and, on top of that, had blue fur. Clearly, he wasn't from Earth.

"Hey, boy," Keithir said, delighted by the massive dog. He slowly held out his hand for Kosmo to sniff and he grinned when Kosmo pressed a wet nose into his palm and licked him.

Travis took note of the confusion on Katie's face and offered an explanation. "I found him, uh, about ten years ago, now. Crashed way out in the desert, so I took it as a sign he was meant to be with me. Saved my neck a couple of years ago too. I wouldn't be here without him." He released Kosmo when he was sure he wouldn't knock anyone down and then led the way inside.

Keithir followed with Kosmo at his side and Katie couldn't help but grin at how cute it was. She hadn't expected him to be a dog person. She'd have to introduce him to Bae bae.

"I know it's getting late, but do you kids want anything to eat? Or something to drink?" Travis asked, directing them to take a seat at a round table.

Katie and Keithir politely declined and sat down. Kosmo happily crawled beneath the table and settled at their feet, pressing his body against them.

Travis joined them once he'd gotten a cup of water. "Well, I know you didn't travel all this way just to see me, son. What's going on? Does it have something to do with that Blue Lion your ma came here to protect?"

"Not entirely," Keithir said, glancing at Katie to make sure it was okay to talk about. She nodded and he continued. "It's a long story, dad."

Travis smiled at him reassuringly. "I have all the time in the world for you. Tell me as much as you'd like."

Keithir took a deep breath and began to tell his dad about everything that had happened since they last spoke, starting with Katie's offer of marriage. Even when Keith faltered and hesitated when it came to some details, Travis remained quiet and held all of his comments until the end. There were only a few times when Katie stepped in to fill in a gap from her perspective or to help Keithir clarify what it was like to be bonded with a Lion.

"Fascinating," Travis said. "I'll admit, I was worried when I first saw the Blue Lion take off from the cave. I was sure your mother's worst fear had come to pass. Took me a few days to get in contact with Thace and relay what I saw, but by then he already knew what was happening. Took a good load off my mind, knowing that Lion was in safe hands."

Katie leaned forward with her elbows on the table. "You were watching over her, all that time?"

"Of course. I figured the least I could do was carry on Krolia's mission," Travis said, his eyes sliding back to Keithir. "Your ma would be so proud of you, just like I am. I wish she was still here to tell you that."

"I- yeah... Yeah, me too," Keithir said, his throat tight.

Katie took note of the way his eyes glistened and decided to give them a moment alone. She stood up, careful not to kick Kosmo. "Sorry, but could I use your bathroom?"

"Of course. It's just down the hall and on the left," Travis said, gesturing to direct her the right way.

She thanked him and left the table, taking her time once she was in the bathroom.

"She seems like a nice young lady, Keithir."

Keithir reached up and discretely brushed away a tear. "Yeah, she really is. I..." He hesitated, his heart twisting up as he tried to communicate his feelings. "I never thought I'd like her so much. It was so awkward between us at first that when we started to get along, I thought the best I could hope for was friendship. But now..."

"You love her," Travis said, his voice full of gentle understanding.

Keithir took a calming breath. "I love her. And I've been so worried that I messed everything up, that I can't even bring myself to tell her. I had the perfect opportunity earlier and I blew that too. I just... I don't know what to do. How do you tell someone you like them? How did you and mom do this? How did you tell her?"

Travis hummed as he thought. "Well, our situation was real different from yours and I wasn't the smoothest when it came to telling her how I felt. I remember waking up and not being able to find her. Kind of panicked and thought she'd gone out and been seen by someone, so I ran outside to look, and there she was, standing in the morning sun. And that was the moment I knew she meant something special to me.

"Actually telling her that was the hard part. Sad to say I made a mess of things myself. I don't know why she put up with me for so long, but eventually I just blurted it out." Travis chuckled at the memory. "Things were easier after that. The thing is, relationships need time and effort to stay strong. Figure out a way to communicate with her. It doesn't always have to be words, but you need to come to an understanding. Tell her what you need. Ask what she needs. You're a smart kid, Keithir, and I can tell that you want things to work out with her. And if you need a little push, just think of this:

"What are you more afraid of? Telling her how you feel, or losing her to a misunderstanding?"

Katie returned soon after and the topic turned to whether or not they'd be able to get Travis clearance to visit them on the Castle of Lions. (The answer was yes. Probably. Katie resolved to ask Coran in the morning.)

As the hours ticked by into midnight and a round of yawning began, Travis offered them a place to sleep for the night.

"It is tempting, but we should get back," Katie said, covering her mouth as she yawned at the end. "I think my mom will actually ground me if she wakes up and I'm not in my room."

Travis chuckled. "That's understandable. You'll visit again before you leave Earth, right? Both of you."

"Of course, dad," Keithir promised.

"And I'll find out how soon we can get you a pass into the Castle. Coran likes me, so it shouldn't take long," Katie said.

Travis walked them to the door, where he gave Keithir a tight hug goodbye. Kosmo wagged his tail as he settled at his side, earning one last pat from both Keithir and Katie. Travis and Kosmo remained on the porch to watch the two of them enter the Red Lion together and take off into the sky, content with the promise that they'd see each other soon.

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Keithir's conversation with his dad stuck with him over the next two days. From past experiences, he knew better than to try and wait for the "perfect" moment. It would never come.

" _What are you more afraid of?"_

Armed with a burst of courage from Red, Keithir went to find Katie. He wouldn't hesitate any longer. He would tell her how he felt before Lotor's trial and they would go into it more secure in their bond than ever.

Katie was waiting for him when he found her, perched on a stool in the otherwise empty kitchen. He was sure it had something to do with their connection; the one she could so easily close off while he struggled to control it. He didn't try and hold back the spark of agitation at his next thought.

"You already know why I'm here," he accused.

"Keithir-"

"That's not fair. Why didn't you say something?"

Katie stared at him for a moment and slowly lowered her barriers. The trickle of intense guilt that came through had Keithir reeling in surprise. "I thought it was something you should get to say on your own. I don't want to build a relationship that relies solely on this connection we share and I didn't want to influence your choices. I hate hiding myself from you, but you're still so new at this and the others all agreed it would be best to step back and give you time to adjust to everything."

Keithir frowned. "The others? Wait, they can feel me too?"

"No," Katie quickly reassured him. "It takes more concentration to pick up on anything from the others. I can't do it without help from Greenie and I know it's the same for them. Shiro says he can pick up on some things, but only when it's a strong emotion, and that's just because Black is the head of Voltron. He needs that bond with everyone." She paused. "Shiro's the one who suggested I put up a sort of mental barrier until you adjust."

Keithir thought he was starting to understand. The foreign feel of her emotions brushing against him was so strange, almost intrusive.

"It gets easier. There are exercises we can do together that will help. Allura wants to set them up once things settle down," Katie said, sliding down from her stool. She walked over to him and let down the last of her barriers.

He could feel everything. The complex twists and swirls of emotion. It was harder and harder to say who it was coming from, and the Lions were there are well, offering encouragement.

And Keithir was given the perfect moment.

He took Katie's left hand and lifted it to his lips, holding her gaze as he pressed a kiss to her ring. "You told me you said 'yes' because it was what you wanted." There was a thrum of delight that he took as confirmation. "I asked you to marry me because it's what I want. It's not about the arrangement. Not anymore."

Katie moved in closer, sliding her hand along his arm until she reached his shoulder. The other came to rest on his chest, her fingers curling into the fabric of the plain shirt he wore. Keithir settled his hands on her waist.

"I love you, Katie Holt."

Rapturous joy consumed them both and Katie rose to meet Keithir for a sweet kiss. His arms tightened around her, pulling her flush against him, and she smiled, separating briefly and going back in for a second kiss. She tangled her fingers in his hair, eagerly soaking in all of the affection he was willing to give.

When they separated, breathless and giddy, both unwilling to let go, Katie was finally able to say something she'd struggled to even admit to herself.

"I love you, Keithir."

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Shiro sat up when the door opened, and upon seeing Allura enter the room with an unusual pallor to her face, set aside his tablet and stood up. He gently guided her to take a seat on the couch, watching her face for any indication to what was wrong.

"Allura?" he asked softly.

She blinked, coming out of her stupor. "It was awful, Shiro."

For one terrifying moment, Shiro thought their worst fears had come true and Lotor had managed to talk his way out of trouble, but then Allura dragged in a breath and continued.

"There was so much that we've never heard of. Things I never would have thought he was capable of doing. The Blade of Marmora has spent _decaphoebs_ gathering evidence against him and Kolivan put it all out on display. Between that, Pidge's video, and all of the testimony against him, they didn't have a choice." Allura reached up and began to tug at her hair, struggling to remove the pins.

"Here, let me," Shiro said, pulling her hands away. He turned her so he could sit behind her and began to carefully unwind her hair.

Allura closed her eyes and let him work. "You would have been so proud of Pidge. She didn't start to ramble even once. Just stood there and relayed the events as clearly as she could. Keithir as well."

Shiro removed and set aside the last of the pins and turned his attention to undoing the first braid. "Did they let Acxa speak like you hoped?"

"Yes, and Kolivan sent someone to find the other three who have been working with them. For a moment, I thought Lotor would break free of his restraints when they all spoke against him. The council hasn't decided what their punishment will be for complying with him for so long, but I believe Kolivan intends to take them in."

"Is that wise?" Shiro asked with a frown.

Allura hesitated. "There are many things they have done that need to be taken into consideration first, but I trust Kolivan's judgement. And also... Shiro, Acxa was the one who freed you."

Shiro's fingers slowed as he neared the top of the first braid. "She did? But why?"

"I couldn't ask. She was asked if she was present during the time when you made your escape and she admitted to tampering with security while the other girls caused a distraction. Your capture, your arm, it was all because of Lotor."

It was as they suspected.

For years, they'd operated until the assumption that space pirates were the ones behind the capture of the Kerberos crew and Shiro's missing arm, but then he heard how frustrated Empress Honerva sounded when talking about her stolen tech that went into the first prosthetic. How would space pirates get their hands on the blueprints for her technology? It was when he found out that Lotor was keeping Sam and Matt hidden with help from the pirates that he began to put two and two together.

Lotor had taken his mother's technology and reconfigured it for his own purposes.

Shiro finished with the second braid and Allura turned around to face him, giving him no time to prepare as she crawled into his lap and wrapped her arms round him. She sighed happily and tucked her head under his chin.

"What did they decide to do with him?" Shiro asked after a few minutes.

"Emperor Zarkon stripped him of his title and all rights to the throne. He will never be permitted to step foot near the Kral Zera. The council... They called for banishment to the outer reaches, a fairly light sentence as far as the Galra are concerned. Others pressed for execution."

Shiro could feel her shiver at the thought.

"Keithir had a different suggestion," Allura continued. "One that everyone could agree was a fair punishment. Lotor will spend the rest of his years locked away in Beta Traz."

Beta Traz, the maximum prison facility run by a Galra commander simply known as "The Warden", was a place Shiro had visited only once with Pidge, who had volunteered to help design new levels of security for it. Meeting the Warden (and his pet Yupper) had been an experience Shiro would never forget.

Lotor would hate it there.

Better than that, they would always know exactly where he was and what he was doing. He would never again pose a threat to them or anyone else.

"It's finally over," Shiro murmured, placing a kiss on top of Allura's head.

"Yes," Allura agreed. She tilted her head up for a proper kiss and there wasn't much more talking for a while after that.


	27. Chapter 27

Here it is, the very last chapter of I'll Take Her Place.

It's been a blast working on this for the last year (and 5 months), and I'm both sad and excited to finally be here at the end of it. I'd like to give a huuuuuuge THANK YOU to everyone who reviewed or left a like along the way. You guys kept me going more than you know. Be sure to check the end notes for news about the sequel, and a link to a poll where everyone can vote on what I should work on next.

(Also, I'm going to take a second to plug the Kidgezine, which I wrote a short fic for. Pre-orders have been extended to April 1st, so be sure to check it out if you haven't already! | kidgezine .tumblr. com - or just www. kidgezine. com )

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 **Chapter 27**

There were days when Katie found it hard to believe that it had been a year since they found the Red Lion and obtained the proof they needed to lock Lotor away for good. A full year of training with Keithir, strengthening their bond into something unbreakable, and growing as a team until _finally_ Voltron made his first appearance in ten-thousand years.

She tried to steady her breathing as gentle hands wove metal flowers into her hair, which she'd let grow out to her shoulders. There was someone else brushing makeup onto her face, carefully applying more until they were satisfied with her appearance.

Katie could hear someone sniffling and didn't need to open her eyes to know who it was. "Matt, you'd better not be crying, because if you are, then I'm going to start crying and _then_ they'll have to redo all of this." She gestured to her face and accidentally bumped the makeup artist, luckily not messing anything up. "Please don't make me late to my own wedding."

That at least got a laugh from her brother. "Mom and dad are going to be so much worse when they get here. Which should be... any tick now?"

Hands finally left her hair alone and someone else, most likely Nilani, stepped up to make sure her dress was properly in place.

"Makeup's done."

Katie finally opened her eyes, blinking against the light as the Altean servants backed away and stood nearby in case they were needed again. "How do I look?"

Matt made a show of contemplatively looking her up and down before smiling at her fondly. "Relax, Pidge. You look beautiful."

"My face feels heavy and weird."

"It's just for a few hours," Matt reminded her. "Nilani, tell her she looks great."

Nilani stepped into Katie's field of vision with all four hands on her hips. "It's the best work I've ever done! And you look very nice too."

Katie couldn't help but grin at Nilani's brand of humor. The half-Altean had figured out months ago the best way to put Katie at ease and enjoyed using that to her advantage if it meant she didn't fidget as much.

"Are you ready to see?"

Katie's nerves returned, but she nodded anyway. She took Nilani's offered hand as she slowly turned, watching her feet to avoid stepping on the hem of her gown. She took a deep breath as she raised her head and looked at her reflection. "Oh...!"

The gown fit perfectly, snug against her skin without being too tight. The bodice covered her whole torso and tied in the back, while a lace overlay covered her from the neck down, but left her arms bare. Katie wasn't sure where Nilani found a subtly iridescent lace, but she loved the effect it gave of green turning to purple and then back, and set against plain white gave it an elegance she hadn't expected. It seemed fitting for her marriage to Keithir.

The front of her skirt fell to her ankles, giving her the peace of mind that she wouldn't step down on it as she walked, while the back was long enough to brush the floor. She didn't see herself doing much dancing in it, but Nilani assured her that there was a simple solution.

Katie reached up to try and adjust the fabric of the lace cape that attached to the front of her gown and draped back over her shoulders, but Nilani pushed her hand away and fixed it herself.

"Now, you are ready!" Nilani said, beaming at her.

She _was_ ready.

Katie stood tall and proud as the door slid open behind her. She half turned to face her guests and tried not to start tearing up at the sight of her mom and dad. It was a battle she lost as her mom gasped and clutched Sam's arm.

"Oh, honey, you look beautiful!"

Katie hopped down from the podium, no longer caring that it would take extra time to re-fix everything. She had to hug them both and bask in the fact that her whole family had made it for the event.

Everything soon became a blur as her family was ushered to their seats. Katie's face was patted dry, her makeup surprisingly undisturbed. ("Tearproof," one of the Alteans said with a grin.) Nilani fussed over the gown one last time and then she and the two Altean servants helped her through the halls.

Katie's heart raced as she stood in front of the ballroom doors, waiting for her cue to enter. Her mind was a whirlwind of thought as she tried to remember her vows and all of the tips she'd been given on how to keep her nerves at ease, but she couldn't recall a single one. She stood there for a moment, too paralyzed to move.

"Just breathe," Nilani reminded her. "Focus on your prince and breathe. Nothing else matters."

Katie breathed in deeply and slowly exhaled.

The double doors opened before her.

Nilani's advice was the furthest thing from her mind, but that didn't matter. The moment she saw Keithir standing at the other end of the room, his red armor pristine and his crown correctly affixed on his head for once, everything else faded away.

He was all that mattered.

Katie walked to him, her cape floating behind her, which probably meant she was going too fast, but she couldn't bring herself to care.

Keithir took her hands the moment she reached him and she beamed up at him, earning a small smile in return. Their affection and love flowed freely through their bond.

Everything was the way it was meant to be.

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Coming Soon: Across Time and Space

Summary: Slav shows off a piece of experimental equipment, when it malfunctions and blasts Katie and Keithir to another universe. At the same time, it drags Pidge and Keith over into theirs, effectively swapping places. With their fate resting in the hands of Slav, will they be able to get back home? Or are they stuck to live the rest of their lives in the wrong universe?

And here is the poll, so you can vote on what I should work on next! ( goo. gl/ forms/ ywqaZsbmE3u9RmMC3 ) I will close it once I've finished writing Across Time and Space. The link is also on my profile, so you don't have to try and type out the long letter/number combination. (It's the one labeled "Google Poll".)


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